Revenge on the Rake
by Aerysa
Summary: Letting her anger get the best of her, Misaki opened her mouth too quickly and finds herself in a predicament... Revenge, by breaking the heart of an infamous playboy... Some OOC to make the story work. Misaki/November
1. Chapter 1

I'm back! Lolz~ I've been busy with life... So I haven't had time to keep up with stories. Anyways, this is an idea I actually had after finish The Hunt for BK-201, except I never got around to writing it. I started it, but didn't get anywhere with it. Now that I started working on it, I hope this will give me motivation to finish. As a note, updates won't be regular since this one is a work in process. I'll update as I get chapters finished.

Anyways, I am a Misaki/Hei fan, but I wanted to try something different! A bit of a challenge :) So this one is actually a Misaki/November story!~ Either way, there's not enough Darker than BLACK stories out there. Enjoy~

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**Revenge on the Rake**

**Chapter 1  
**

Usually, she had no problems with people of his sort – especially since she had nothing to do with them. After all, she wasn't one of those silly females to fall for the obvious charms of a playboy. But this time, one of them had done something that was quite unforgivable. He had gone and broken the heart of her best friend. That was something she would not ignore and let him get away with.

Because of it, she was now in this predicament. She opened her big mouth too quickly, letting her temper get the better of her. Now that Kanami had placed her utmost trust in her, she could do nothing but carry out this ridiculous scheme that had hatched in her mind. Misaki sighed as she couldn't believe that she had promised Kanami that she would do the impossible and break the heart of a playboy.

That meant that she had to first get him to fall for her. Then, she would have to be heartless and reject him. It wasn't enough that it was a quiet rejection, but instead, one that was full-blown in front of everyone he knew and everyone she knew. Misaki could only sigh again as she stared at her own figure in front of the mirror. She wasn't delusional to imagine that she could attract the attention of the most notorious playboy, November.

From what Kanami had told her, he had a couple regular girls around him and the rest of them cycled through, depending on who caught his fancy that evening. Even then, none of his regular girls had any special dibs on his attention either. If he was unsatisfied with them, he could easily replace them as well...

Most regularly, he kept the company of April, a dark-skinned maiden with outrageous, short turquoise hair and amber eyes and Brita, the voluptuous blond with blue eyes. As for her, she wasn't even comfortable enough to show her shoulders, let alone the rest of herself. At the moment, how she was going to pull this off was way beyond her imagination.

**********

"Write it down. Monday nights, it's Phantasm; Tuesday, Murasaki; Wednesday, Amaryllis Lounge; Thursday, Seiun…"

"Friday, it's Sakkaku, then Casablanca and Pink Ginger," Misaki finished. "Yes, I know."

She sighed as she sat down on the couch. She was having a planning session with Kanami about how this would work, except her friend was still caught up on details that she already knew. The list of November's club routine had already been burned into her memory; that was about as far as she got on the plan so far.

Obviously, Kanami thought it was a brilliant idea since she wanted her to start this process immediately. They didn't even know how to catch his attention! She said it herself – November had been the one to approach her. That fact didn't surprise Misaki at all since Kanami was very feminine and fragile; the type of woman a man would want to protect - except he had lied to her with empty promises.

On the other hand, she was not even close… She didn't have Kanami's fashion sense or knowledge of feminine wiles or even her feminine charm. All in all, despite their close relationship, they were quite different in terms of priorities and personalities. Next to the beautiful Kanami, she could only be called plain. Despite the agreement to carry out this revenge, she also didn't want to change herself completely for this.

"You know I have work. I can only go on weekends," Misaki stated. "Besides, I don't know how I'm going to even get him to look at me! If he chose you, he would never even look twice at me."

"That is not true!" Kanami disagreed vehemently. "You just think that way because you refuse to dress up nicely, always wearing your blazer and suit pants. You'd look much better if you wore makeup and put on a dress instead."

"Do I need to remind you that I'm an officer? I can't get work done if I'm always worrying about my clothes. Besides, it's difficult to run in a skirt."

"That's true, but you can't go into a club dressed like you usually do," said Kanami. "You can just borrow my clothes since we're almost the same size."

"Would you at least let me pick what I borrow?"

"Well… Only if it looks good."

"Thank you! I'm not going to show off my cleavage and legs and whatever else you show off in a place like that!" Misaki exclaimed.

"You have to show off _something_… You better pick which one you're more comfortable with showing off or he'll never notice you."

"Fine… Then my legs. I'm not wearing some low slinky top that consists of an inch wide cloth. And the skirt better not be a mini skirt. I'll wear a skirt, but nothing too short!"

"And here I thought you were trying to help me," Kanami complained.

"I will, but in my own way!"

"So you thought of a plan?"

"Not yet, but I'll think of something," Misaki promised.

"Thank you _so_ much!"

Despite their disagreements, Misaki could only smile as Kanami threw her arms around to give her a big hug. She wasn't one to back out of a promise, even if that promise was made in a terrible fit of anger. Besides, she knew how much his rejection had hurt her – she had experienced it firsthand.

That night, Kanami had shown up at her apartment with puffy red eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks. The tears had lasted another three days, until she finally pulled herself together. With each passing hour that her friend had cried wasted tears, the angrier she had become until she had made that outrageous proclamation.

It was her promise and crazy idea that had finally got her to stop pitying herself. There wasn't anything wrong with her. It was November's fault for playing with her heart. He was just a frivolous and arrogant jerk with no thought to other people's feelings, only his own. That was why Misaki couldn't understand why girls still followed him around. It wasn't like he had ever settled down with one girl; switching girls every night and even every hour if he felt like it.

"You're worth so much more than him. We'll give him exactly what he deserves," Misaki said with determination as she hugged her friend back. "Now, let me go pick out some clothes that I can wear. Tell me if it looks good or not."

"Okay, that's where you need me!"

Misaki rolled her eyes good-naturedly as it was true before following Kanami to her room. Her friend immediately began to pull out everything she owned, and there was a lot of it… With a small sigh, Misaki went to dig through for something that she was comfortable wearing. They picked out some of everything – shorter skirts, tight skirts, tight sleeveless tops, flowing sleeveless tops…

After they were finished, she ended up with a large pile that she was going to bring home. There were probably thirty articles of clothing for her to mix and match. The amazing part was that it didn't even put a dent into the amount of clothing left for Kanami. Also, there were six pairs of shoes to add to the collection; nothing with three inch stiletto heels, despite Kanami's insistence that they looked much better with the clothes. The maximum she was comfortable with was one and a half.

**********

Sitting in the bathroom with a stash of makeup in front of her, Misaki sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The days of the week had been counted down, leading her to this very moment. On her own, she felt silly for the idea of revenge that they had. It would never work. Yet, she couldn't back out of it now.

After work, she had been going to Kanami's place where they went over November's schedule, bounced ideas off of each other on how to capture his attention, picked out appropriate clothes and had makeup lessons. Apparently, it wasn't enough to wear a bit of eyeliner and mascara... It was such a hassle; she couldn't understand how any female could do this on a regular basis.

By now, she was an expert, even when she didn't want to be. Kanami had been a taskmaster for this part since it was the most demanding in terms of skills. Clothes, she just had to throw them on and put on a pair of shoes to go with it. Applying her last coat of mascara, Misaki was relieved that her friend had left it up to her for how things would happen once she actually got there.

With her makeup finished and outfit on, the final thing she needed to do was her hair. She couldn't leave it in the usual low ponytail. At this point, too tired to do anything special with it, she pulled out one of the fancy hair clips that Kanami had also lent her. Pulling back sections on the sides, she clipped it back and left it at that.

**********

Parking her car as close as possible, Misaki felt miserable as she stepped out of the car. She felt half-naked wearing the short black leather skirt that only reached three inches above her knees. The top wasn't any better since it was a tight fitting pink lace shirt that buttoned up in the front with a corset-style design in the back. Finally, she had to squeeze her feet into silver criss-cross strappy sandals with one inch heels.

Kanami was patiently waiting for her report at home since it didn't make sense for them to show up together. Even if he was a jerk, they were sure he wasn't stupid. He would recognize Kanami and then, the gig would be up. Though, to be honest, Misaki wished that she could get out of this somehow…

It wasn't the alcohol aspect that bothered her since she drank regularly at home. It wasn't even the loud music or crush of people that Kanami had warned her about. More than anything else, she hated showing her body off, especially in this blatantly obvious way that women seemed to love… All so some useless man could ogle her body. Then again, who would want to look at her when there was nothing spectacular about hers?

The whole idea just seemed impossibly crazy in broad daylight, when she was sober. Shaking her head, she blocked out her own thoughts. Instead, she focused her thoughts on the memory of Kanami's miserable form as she huddled on the bed, weeping and crying her heart out. It helped her to march forward with determination.

She joined the line-up outside as they were being checked by the bouncer standing outside the door. Surprisingly, he was efficient as she reached the front faster than she expected. Watching groups of people go in together, she felt silly since she was by herself. Even so, she bravely tilted her head back and handed over her driver's license.

"By yourself?"

"Yes," she said, her voice steady despite her jittery nerves.

"Have fun; pay inside before you go down."

She nodded her head and took back her card. There, that wasn't so bad. She just had to go in, pay and find November. First, she would get herself a drink before she attempted that part. It was her first time going to a club; Kanami had never been successful in convincing her to go to one until now. Now that she was here, she was completely on her own.

"Just one?"

"Yes."

"That's 3000 yen for cover and drinks, all you can drink. Grab a cup from the side before you head in," the man instructed.

"Thanks."

She pulled out the money, handed it over and he put a wristband on her. For this club at least, she could understand why it was popular. The price was decent, considering it was all you can drink. She only planned on having one or two before she left for the night. This first night would be surveillance, and hopefully an idea would come to her afterward.

The instant she walked in, she was blasted by the loud music playing from the DJ stand and the speakers setup all over the club. She almost covered her ears, before she remembered that it would be too obvious that she had never been to one before. Worming her way through the crowd, she made her way to the lockers where she could lock up her belongings for the night.

Then with her cup in hand, she wormed her way towards the bar where it seemed to be the busiest. Someone elbowed her out of the way and she felt herself get pushed off balance. Flailing just a bit, she growled under her breath. Two could play at that game! Using her smaller size, she squeezed herself in between people and used her elbows to keep them out of the way.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked when she was finally in the front.

"Sea breeze," she shouted back.

Nodding his head, he took her cup, flipped it up, catching it before he placed it down. She watched in amazement as all the bartenders did this; fancy tricks as they made the drinks that were ordered. When it was ready, she thanked him and he smiled as she took the drink. Inwardly sighing, she now had to navigate her way around without spilling it all over herself.

She took a sip of the drink before making her way towards one of the walls. So far, she hadn't seen November or anyone from his group – not that she would really recognize anyone but him. The bar seemed to be the busiest and she could understand why. The bartender had been surprisingly handsome; all of them… Someone had even ordered a drink for one of the other ones, which he downed in one gulp.

More people continued to enter and she was starting to feel a little claustrophobic. Kanami's warning didn't even begin to describe the actual feeling of being inside. This part, she couldn't understand. With clothes like what she was wearing, she should be worried that someone would touch her in places she didn't want to be touched.

Needing a break from the people watching, she tried to find the bathroom, but it was difficult to tell where she was going with all these people in her way. There seemed to be a clearing in one corner and she made her way towards it. With more space between her and other people, it was bound to be easier to see.

But when she stepped into the area where there was more space, she was surprised to find the man that she had originally been looking for. Despite having more space, it seemed to be louder than the actual club itself as girls continued to squeal and giggle at something November was talking about. Inwardly sighing, she could only roll her eyes at the idiocy in front of her; her own friend a part of this crowd not too long ago.

"Excuse me," she said to the girl closest to her.

There was no response as the girl ignored her and Misaki looked around at the others helplessly. No one was paying attention to her. At this rate, she was never going to find the bathroom! But she could report to Kanami that she saw the man; this time it wouldn't be a lie.

"Excuse me," she said, louder this time.

"What is it?" the girl finally snapped. "I can't hear what he's saying with you hovering around!"

This seemed to capture the attention of everyone in the group and Misaki felt all eyes turn to her, November's included. She refused to budge under all their stares. She had wanted to get his attention, but she never imagined it would happen like this.

"I'm looking for the bathroom," she said in the most snobby voice she could manage.

"It's farther in the back to your _right_," the girl replied, just as snobby.

Nodding in response without a word of thanks, Misaki flicked her hair over her shoulder and made her way back into the crowd as gracefully as she could. She wasn't about to let them get the best of her. After this bathroom break, she was going to have one more drink before she left. Thankfully, she was well into the crowd when she stumbled a little.

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**A/N:** I haven't got everything planned out yet, but I do have ideas for the story so hopefully it won't take too long to write them out :)

Club names: Murasaki = purple. Sakkaku = illusion. Seiun = Nebulus. haha, it was sooo difficult to think of names. And since they are supposed to be in Japan, I tried to use some Japanese-ish names. Hopefully the names sound believable XD


	2. Chapter 2

Back with chapter 2! If I can keep it up, I'll be finished before I know it! XD Anyways, I wanted to get an update on this story since I'm leaving on vacation for a week this weekend. No time to update while I'm gone~

Anyways, this story is quite scrambled... There's no time line in relations to the anime or anything like that. I tried to keep as close as possible to the characters and what not, but you'll find that I had to modify quite a few things (or maybe a lot more later...) to get this story line to work. I hope that doesn't detract from the actual story itself though! Enjoy :)

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**Chapter 2**

"So tell me how it went," Kanami instructed. "Did you catch his attention?"

"I have no idea," Misaki answered truthfully. "But I did see him. I was looking for the bathroom when I came across his entourage. I was trying to ask this one girl where it was, but she ignored me. When I asked a second time, she acted like a total snob and snapped at me; this caught the attention of everyone, November included."

"That's good! Nice plan."

"It wasn't even a plan," she muttered to herself.

"Then what?"

"Nothing. I didn't stay long enough to find out what he thought if anything at all. I flicked my hair over my shoulder and left. After I went to the bathroom, I went back to get a second drink before I left the club."

"That's it?" Kanami complained. "You were supposed to talk to him!"

"With ten other girls who were already vying for his attention? They would have shot me and skewered me alive if I tried! I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll just have to go back next week and try again."

"Fine… At least tell me what you wore," stated Kanami.

"The pink lace corset top with your black leather skirt and the silver sandals. I did my makeup exactly like you taught me."

"Hm… Not bad. And your hair?"

"Nothing really," Misaki said miserably. "I was tired and I didn't know what to do with it! By the time I finished, the place would have been closed. I only clipped back sections on the side using some of the clips you lent me."

"Man," her friend replied with a sigh. "You're going to have to do better next week! That would never have caught his attention."

Her friend's conclusion didn't surprise her since she thought the exact same thing. But how could she possibly capture his attention when he was always surrounded by so many people? Cursing her mouth for speaking so quickly, she was relieved when Kanami started talking about something else. This wasn't as easy as it would seem.

"Wait a minute," Kanami said, stopping in the middle of her own sentence. "Did you wear your glasses when you went?"

"Of course. You know I can't see without them."

"Misaki! I can't believe you!"

"What's wrong with my glasses?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing, but he's not the type to be interested when all the girls he likes are bombshells. It doesn't help if you wear your glasses! You look a million times better with your contacts."

"I resent that you know… You make it seem like it's the worst thing in the world… And here I was trying so hard for your sake."

"Aww, don't get mad at me!" Kanami exclaimed. "I didn't mean that you're ugly. But you have to admit that you don't give off the sexy confident vibe that he likes. You're more the pretty girl next door type."

"Which is perfectly fine with me."

"Well, I suppose it _does_ capture the attention of some guys…"

"Like who?" Misaki was forced to ask.

"Your co-worker…"

"Which one? Kouno or Saitou?"

"Saitou! He has a crush on you," Kanami stated proudly.

"Please~ He's a hard worker and everything, but that's about all that's good about him."

"What? I thought he'd be your type! You are rather serious after all."

Misaki could only shake her head, unable to verbalize all the reasons why Saitou was unfit as a potential love interest. It had turned from the topic of November to her non-existent love life; both which seemed to be favourites of Kanami's. It was going to be a long night before she was free to escape to the peace and quiet of her own apartment.

**********

Sitting alone at her desk in their shared office, Misaki was exhausted. The dreadful part was that it wasn't even related to work. She didn't mind since she liked getting work done when it came to capturing bad guys. But Kanami had been calling every other day to see if she made any progress; even though she purposely said she would only go to the clubs on the weekend.

"Chief!"

"You don't need to shout," Misaki said as Saitou entered the room to disrupt her moment of solitude. "What is it?"

"Commander Horai wants to speak to you."

"Alright. Here, take these," she said, pushing a stack of papers into his arms. "I want you to finish the report for me."

"E – Eh?! Are you sure that's alright?"

"You can do it. I know you can handle it."

"Y – Yes, Chief!" he exclaimed brightly.

Misaki quietly closed the door behind her and sighed. She couldn't believe that she had just done that; pushing work onto her subordinates, using her womanly tactics; one that only worked because Kanami had told her a million times that Saitou was interested in her… It wasn't her fault, not completely, if he thought he could handle the world just because she gave him a small smile.

If it was poorly done, which she didn't honestly think it would be, she would take the flak for it later. For now, she would see what her boss wanted and then continue to worry about how to get out of her promise to Kanami. She was fine with the one attempt at sparking November's curiosity, not that much happened. But she knew that Kanami would never release her from it without more effort on her part; she was stubborn like that.

"Commander?" she asked, knocking on his door.

"Enter!"

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, there you are Kirihara-san. Just the person I wanted to see," Horai stated.

"Yes, Saitou did say that… What is it?"

"I'm surprised I need to remind you, but the report for the RE-834 case was due on my desk this morning. Have you finished it?"

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed, smacking herself in the forehead. "I forgot!"

"Hm… I noticed that your efforts have been lacking this past week. Do I need to get someone to replace you?"

"No, no. I promise I'll do much better! Sir!"

"Very well. I would hate to lose you," he replied. "I know how well you work. But if you really need some time off, I'm willing to give it to you. That would be better than having to replace you completely. Now get to work. I'll give you an extension until eight, the end of the night."

"Thank you!"

She bowed towards him as she couldn't believe that she forgot something so vital like that. They needed the case report so they could process and record what had happened during their interactions with the criminal. To forget something that important; it was a sign of how much Kanami's situation was getting to her. She would never have done something like this otherwise.

She sighed softly after she closed the door to her supervisor's office. At least this should give her some relief since it had to be in by the end of the night; she didn't have time to think about Kanami right now. Taking in a deep breath, she held up her head as she marched her way back to her own office.

"Was everything okay?" Saitou asked when she entered.

"Yes, we're fine. How is the report going?"

"Good."

"Excellent, then I expect you to finish it by the end of the night," she replied.

She missed his reaction as his complexion paled at hearing the instructions, but he didn't complain. Instead, he grit his teeth together and nodded his head. If she wanted it by the evening, she would get it. He couldn't _really_ complain, since that also meant he had an excuse to stay late with her. After all, she pulled late nights all the time; if she could do it, then so could he.

**********

"We're heading out now. Have a good night, Chief."

"Ah, thank you. See you tomorrow," Misaki said as she looked up to see that Kouno and Matsumoto were leaving.

Otsuka had left even earlier as she said she had a party to attend with her friend Kiko. What kind of party they had in the middle of the weekday, Misaki wasn't going to ask. She had enough to worry about on her own plate. As the door closed behind the two, she noticed that she was the only one left with Saitou as he was still at his desk, working on the report she had given him earlier.

"It's not urgent to get it finished," she stated. "If you can't finish it tonight, you can give it to me tomorrow morning."

"No, I'm almost done."

"Mm… Okay…"

She watched him for a moment longer as he was surprisingly hard working today, more than usual. He had only glanced up at her briefly to acknowledge her words and his nose was buried back into the papers in front of him. She felt a little bit guilty since she had purposely given it to him, knowing he wouldn't complain. After all, it was actually a report that she was supposed to do.

Anyone else on the team would have voiced some form of complaint, especially Kouno. They would still get it done, but grumble the entire time they were working on it. Sitting back for a short break, she was lucky that she had a good team. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but overall they worked really well together.

Taking a glance at the clock on her computer screen, she shook aside the fanciful thoughts in her mind. She had exactly two hours to get this report finished. Another reminder from her supervisor was the _last_ thing she needed. If Kanami found out, she would be in those clubs practically every night of the week, rather than just the one.

"Work, work," she said quietly to herself.

Glancing at the Messier code on the top of the report, she nodded to herself, remembering the work they had put in to capture him. In general, Contractors were nothing but a nuisance. Things had taken a turn after the disappearance of BK-201, the main target that they had been chasing for many, many months.

That wasn't quite true, because she knew exactly where he was – but as his human persona. She knew he wasn't a bad person, despite having Contractor powers. He never used them to hurt people, and he had saved her life on numerous occasions. They were actually friends. No one else knew that he was BK-201, Kanami included.

"Work, work," she repeated to herself, her thoughts taking her farther away from where she needed to be.

Pulling out a new piece of scrap paper, she quickly jotted down the timeline of how things happened, from when RE-834 had been observed being active to when he was finally apprehended from his hideout. In his rampant display of power, he had killed three people, injured more than twenty and destroyed two public buildings.

Everyone in the office had been relieved since his capture. The worst type of criminals to deal with was the ones who were irrational and unstable. For Contractors who typically acted based on logic and reason, this one had been the opposite – purely acting out based on emotions. They still didn't know how it could be as it was contrary to what they already knew.

It was one reason why this case had been held in high importance. Letting something like her friend's personal problem come between the greater good of protecting the innocent, Misaki reprimanded herself. Whatever revenge needed to happen, it could happen after she finished the report and helped lock away RE-834 for good.

**********

"Chief?"

Saitou sat at his desk with a finished report in front of him. He had actually finished ten minutes ago, but he had taken the extra time to watch his supervisor at work. Sneaking glances at her, he felt himself blush at the thoughts going on in his head. Luckily, she had been caught up in her own work or she would have smacked him.

It was almost time to hand in the report, but she hadn't acknowledged him when he called out to her. Reluctant to disturb her train of thought, he was left to sit around and wait. A glance at his watch told him that there was still fifteen minutes. Did he wait until she was finished before handing in his or did he just disrupt her, hand it in and leave?

"Um… Chief?" he tried again, choosing the second option.

He didn't have the courage to ask her if she wanted to do something afterward. Besides, it was a long day for all of them; he was positive she would refuse and tell him to get some rest anyways. No point in leading himself up to rejection. It would be expected, but he would still be crushed if it happened.

"Hm? What is it Saitou?" she finally asked a moment later, without looking up.

"I finished the report…"

"Ah! Thank you, I've put you through a lot today," she stated.

Saitou felt his cheeks heat up as she glanced at him with an unusually soft expression on her face. He was unprepared for it and he felt his heartbeat pick up an irregular pattern. Stuttering stupidly, he told her that it wasn't too much. Glancing away from her, he gently placed the entire file on the corner of her desk.

"You've been a great help. I knew I could count on you."

"Um… A… Well, I… It was nothing," muttered Saitou.

"Alright, get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

He nodded his head instead of trying his voice again. He gave her one more quick glance before he turned away to pack up his things. Misaki scribbled the last of her notes into the report. Sitting back to watch him, she felt her spirits lift. Even if things were impossible with November, she wasn't completely lacking in femininity that she didn't affect a man; even if he was only Saitou.


	3. Chapter 3

Back with more! A few other characters show up in this chapter ;) Enjoy~

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**Chapter 3**

Standing off to the side, Misaki was glad she picked a different club to go to. Sakkaku was the first club she tried, and apparently one of the more popular ones because she had to kick and shove her way through the crowd to move anywhere. She had convinced Kanami to give her a trial period of a month, to get herself familiar with the whole idea of clubbing.

She had explained to her that she wanted to check out the ones she could, as in the ones on the weekend that he went to, to see which one would be best for trying to gain his attention. They couldn't _all_ be exactly the same. If anything, she liked this club the best. It seemed the classiest without the unbelievable crowds.

Casablanca had been similar to Sakkaku and she had to deduce that it was due to the nights on which November showed up. Both Fridays and Saturdays were the time where people didn't have to worry about work the next day. But on a Sunday, not as many people were inclined to go out and stay so late.

Pink Ginger, where she was now, was still popular as they didn't seem to be lacking in clientele, but she didn't have to worry about the college crowd as well as the working crowd. If anything, it was more like a mix between a host club and a night club. There were private sections where November could host to his entourage, but it also had a main bar and a dance floor for the rest of the people.

She had already spotted him. He wasn't hard to find; she just had to follow the sounds of squealing girlish giggles. After she thought about it, this wasn't that different than a stakeout. That she understood. Already she had tried to tell Kanami that this wasn't such a good idea, but she wouldn't accept any of it.

All she could do now was throw herself into it completely. Before all else, she had to check out her surroundings and familiarize herself with enemy territory. Purposely, she had dressed more conservative in comparison so that she didn't stand out amidst the crowd. A couple guys had tried to hit on her and she let herself follow them to the dance floor for a dance or two.

It helped that she had enough to drink that she could feel a tingling sense of euphoria course through her body. Otherwise, she wouldn't even be here. She would be hiding in the bathroom or hovering by the main entrance.

She had quickly learned that trying to deny the men what they wanted just led to more persistent behaviour. That didn't mean that she let them do anything, but they usually left her alone after she danced with them once or accepted one drink. Now all she needed was someone to act as her escort so that she had an escape route when she needed it.

Smiling to herself as she took another sip of her drink, she knew exactly who to ask. She had thought it through at great lengths. He had to be handsome or else it wouldn't be believable that she eventually rejected November. He had to be strong and capable since she didn't think he would back down if he thought his competition was inferior. Now all she had to do was convince Li that this wasn't actually a crazy person's idea.

Seeing enough for the night, Misaki drank another sip before she went to drop off her drink on an empty table. Now that she had a plan, she needed to get all the pieces in place. Though she hadn't spoken to Kanami yet, she didn't think it would make that much of a difference if one more person knew about the scenario.

Li didn't have to know absolutely _everything_ about the plan. She just needed his help for this first part. A sweet and gentle kind of guy, despite the things he did as BK-201, Misaki didn't want to put an unnecessary burden on Li's shoulders. After all, he had his own things to deal with as well between working and caring for Yin.

**********

Glancing around, Misaki didn't see anyone in the women's bathroom and she breathed out a sigh of relief. It felt weird to be skulking around at work, but she didn't want anyone to overhear her conversation, especially Otsuka. As the liaison between the office and Kanami's observatory, Misaki didn't want her to say anything unnecessary to her friend. Then again, she probably wouldn't as she was pretty sure she came across scarier than Kanami.

Either way, this was a conversation that was meant to be kept between her and Li. She couldn't exactly present the idea to Kanami if Li didn't agree to it in the first place. Locking the stall door behind her, Misaki leaned back against the door before pulling out her cell phone and dialling Li's cell phone number.

"_Hello?"_ he responded after three rings.

"Hi Li."

"_Misaki? Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine," she replied with a small smile. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"_I'm doing well. But shouldn't you be at work?"_

"I am…"

"_So what do you need from me?"_ he asked, knowing she wouldn't call during work hours if it wasn't urgent or important.

"Um… I wanted to see you tonight. Can I come over to your place?"

"_Sure, of course. You know you're welcome to come any time."_

"Thanks! I'll talk to you then," Misaki replied.

"_Alright, until later then."_

Hanging up, she quickly shoved the phone back into her pocket. It would be suspicious if she was gone for too long. Taking in a deep breath, she calmed her nerves before leaving the bathroom. Before she entered the office, she put on her stern, serious work face, surveying the office to see what everyone was doing.

"Where did Otsuka go?" she asked Kouno.

"She got a call from Ishizaki-san while you were out; didn't say much else besides that."

"Ah, okay. And the investigation on the Akihabara case, how are things progressing on that?"

"Um… We were just on our way out since there's been a new tip," Kouno replied. "Saitou went to drop off a package for Commander Horai."

"Alright, keep me informed."

Kouno nodded his head quickly and turned back to his computer screen. It was part of his job, he understood that, but he was always a little anxious when the Chief questioned him. He had utmost respect for her when it came to work; it was just that she was too serious for him. There had been times where he was terrified he would get the axe for his stupid mistakes.

Thankfully, she was a fair boss. He got reprimanded all the time, but she wasn't nasty about it. She would do her best to correct the mistake and guide him along the way. Even so, it was always better to leave it up to Saitou when it came to communicating with her. After all, she had higher expectations of him.

**********

Climbing into her car after work, Misaki tossed her purse onto the seat next to her. She was looking forward to the meeting with Li. He was an awesome cook, and she knew that food would always be waiting for her if she told him that she was coming over. Besides, she could catch up with Yin as well. She had really taken a liking to the girl, Li's former partner, now sister – at least what they told everyone else.

They had sent her to school where no one was any wiser that she was actually a doll. Despite what everyone knew about dolls, she was a rare exception. Misaki had seen her laugh and cry like any normal human being. From what she knew, Yin had even made a friend at school.

From the office, it took her approximately twenty minutes to reach his place. Pulling into the visitor section, she parked the car before stopping to think about how this conversation would go. She could just hear him saying it was crazy, but she had to find a way to convince him. All in all, she thought he would understand and finally agree in the end.

"Hello," she said as Yin opened the door for her.

"Misaki! I was waiting for you to come!"

"Did Li tell you?"

"Nope, but I knew the moment he started cooking up a storm," she answered with a giggle. "He only does that whenever you come since the two of you actually manage to eat it all."

"Ah, of course. So how have you been?"

Misaki grinned as she was pulled into a big hug before she was allowed to walk into the apartment. No one who knew about them would expect a doll to show any sort of emotion. Yin on the other hand seemed capable of expressing every known emotion. She was no different from the normal middle school girl.

"I'm good. Yesterday, we did a P.E. test and I managed to get over the hurdles on my first try! Same with July."

"Yin, can you please put out the food for Mao?"

"Hi Li, I see you're keeping busy," Misaki stated as the two of them entered the kitchen area.

"Not really. Yin?"

"Okay…"

"Never would have guessed it," Li said with a grin. "Anyways, supper's ready. We'll talk afterward."

"Mm, okay. I'll help."

After cleaning up in the kitchen, Li sent Yin to her room and she pouted, but finally agreed when Misaki said that she had something she needed to discuss with him. She gave them fair warning that she would return once she was finished all her homework. Until then, that was all the time they had to discuss whatever they wanted to talk about.

"She's always saying you should come over more often, but then I have to remind her that you're busy with work," Li explained.

"I know, or I would come over more often as well."

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Um… Well, I actually need a really, really big favour from you," Misaki said as an introduction. "Something I couldn't talk about over the phone."

"I'm listening."

She started by explaining about Kanami's relationship with November, going on to cover the heartless things he had done; how Kanami had suffered after his arrogant and thoughtless rejection of her; and how she had stayed over at her apartment nursing her broken heart.

"What? He actually did something like that to Kanami-san?" he asked in outrage.

"Yes. I was so surprised that she would even fall for a guy like him!"

"No kidding… I don't understand what females see in a guy like that."

"Me neither," she admitted. "But yes… That leads up to the problem."

"And what would that be?"

"I couldn't stand seeing her like that and I finally got really angry. I said something really stupid, but now Kanami wants me to actually carry it out…"

"What'd you say?" inquired Li.

"Um… I said I'd pay him back by doing the same thing to him, on her behalf."

"What?! Why would you say something like that?"

"I was really angry at the time! But she actually thought it was a great idea and I couldn't convince her that it was actually a stupid idea. She's been on my case to carry through with it," Misaki explained. "After all that she went through because of him, I didn't have the heart to refuse…"

"That's still really crazy. How in the world are you going to do that?" he asked.

"Well, the only place to meet him is at night clubs…"

"Don't tell me you actually went!"

Misaki nodded her head sheepishly and glanced away while biting on her lower lip. No matter which way she thought about it, it sounded crazier; even more so as she was explaining it to him. She waited for him to say something, knowing he needed time to digest everything she just told him.

"Let me guess. You want me to go with you," he finally said.

"Yes…"

"How can I possibly say no?" he asked with a sigh. "That was really dangerous of you to go by yourself! You never know what those perverts might do to you, especially if you get drunk. I trust you, but I don't trust those other people."

"Oh, I knew I you would understand. Thank you so much!"

"Someone has to keep an eye on you."

Li only laughed as she threw her arms around him to give him a big hug. Smiling, he hugged her back. He would never have expected her to think of something like that, but at the same time, he wasn't surprised. Misaki was unconditionally loyal to those around her, especially her family and friends. Even so, he knew it was a foolish idea, regardless of her attempts to carry it out. He would do his best to carry out his part of protecting her.

"So when are we going?"

"On Sunday. Is that okay?" she asked, pulling away from him.

"Mm, that's fine. Yin should be okay by herself and we won't be gone that long since we'll both have to work the next day."

"I can't possibly thank you enough!"

**********

**A/N:** This might be a Misaki/November story, but I couldn't possibly leave out Li-kun!! :p As for Yin and July... Lolz~ Another part I couldn't resist since I was modifying the cast as necessary anyways... hehe.


	4. Chapter 4

Back with more! Always feel more inclined to write when I know people are reading it :p

Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 4**

Misaki sat back on the stool in Kanami's room as her friend was doing her hair. After Li had agreed to the plan, she had told Kanami everything. She had been embarrassed that he knew about her breakdown, but couldn't say anything as she was the one who wanted Misaki to be her avenger. They had agreed that Misaki could carry this out as she saw best.

The first step was soon upon them as Li would pick her up and the two of them would go over to Pink Ginger together. Before then, she had to get ready for her part. Kanami had already put her into a tight-fitting, sleeveless, short Chinese dress. Misaki couldn't really complain since she had said many nights ago that she would agree to showing off her legs…

The silky material was luxuriously smooth against her skin and she couldn't believe that Kanami was lending her such a beautiful dress to wear. But then again, she wasn't sure how she would feel actually wearing it out as she tugged down the hemline one more time. Sitting down, it barely covered anything.

"Stop tugging on it," Kanami demanded. "It's fine."

"Only because you like this stuff and you don't mind showing off your legs."

"Well you have to dress the part. Dressed like you usually do, you'd only scare everyone away."

"Yes, yes. Put a smile on my face and play the sexy, seductive maiden," Misaki said. "I get it already. We've been over this a million times."

"I can't help how you act, but I can do my best to make sure you look the part."

Refusing to be baited into the argument, Misaki only nodded. It was a weird feeling since Kanami was putting her hair into loose ringlet curls. She didn't even like to leave her hair down when she slept, putting it into a low ponytail to the side right before bed. Now she was going to the other extreme end of the spectrum…

"Oh! That must be Li-kun," Kanami said when the doorbell rang. "I'll go get it before I finish up with you in here."

"Yes, yes. Go."

Kanami could only sigh before she went to answer the door. Misaki was in a stubborn mood and nothing she said was getting through to her. Hoping that somehow this would work, she put a smile on her face before pulling open the door.

"Hello Kanami-san," Li said with a smile.

"She's almost ready. Come on in."

"Thanks."

He didn't come in right away, instead, staring at her as if he was assessing her. He wasn't the shy, stuttering Li she was used to and she felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Misaki was only friends with him. He was amazingly sexy, and she had to agree with Misaki that he could give November a run for his money in the looks department.

Glancing away, she saw that he looked his part in a grey fitted vest over a tight black t-shirt and blue jeans. When she looked back up at him, he slowly grinned, knowing that she was checking him out. Her blush deepened and she nodded her head before guiding him into the living room.

"Um… I'm just going to finish up with Misaki. Make yourself at home," she said.

"Thanks, I'll do that."

Nodding her head again, she rushed back into her bedroom to find that Misaki hadn't moved from where she was sitting. Hoping that her cheeks weren't on fire still, she went back to the vanity table to pick up her curling iron. Her eyes connected with Misaki's through the mirror and she felt herself blush more when Misaki raised one of her eyebrows.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Was that Li?"

"Yes, he's waiting in the living room."

"Thought so. Why are you blushing?"

"Uh, it's nothing," she said, clearing her throat. "Now stop asking so many questions."

It took them another fifteen minutes before Kanami declared that she was ready for the evening. Misaki stood up and ended up staring at her own reflection. The red dress brought out a light flush across her cheeks, though it was also due to her own embarrassment. At the same time, she didn't even know she could look so good; she didn't even recognize herself.

"I told you; you can look really good if you just put in some effort," Kanami stated proudly. "Well, better get going. Li-kun is waiting for you."

"Ah, right…"

Picking up her purse, she put her free hand to her cheeks, checking her own temperature – they felt like they were on fire. The door opened in front of her and she saw Li stand upon her exit. Automatically, she felt her eyes drift over the length of him and she understood why Kanami had been blushing when she returned. He looked really good, not to mention that he wasn't actually as shy as he pretended to be.

"Hello," she said slowly.

"Hello yourself," he replied with a slow grin. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks. You too."

"Shall we go?" Li asked.

"Mm, yes. I'll tell you everything that happens after."

"I'll make sure she gets home in one piece after we give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Ah, thanks so much," Kanami said.

Li stepped around the coffee table to hold out his hand; Misaki easily placed her hand in his and the two of them turned towards Kanami. Stepping forward, Li bent to brush a kiss against Kanami's cheek before the two of them left. Stupidly, she felt herself cover her face with her hand.

"Make sure you lock the door," Misaki called out before closing the door behind her.

"Let's go."

"Why'd you do that?" Misaki asked Li as they were waiting for the elevator.

"Do what?"

"Kiss her on the cheek."

"Why not? Are you jealous?" he teased. "Besides, she's still gorgeous, despite what this November might think. No need for her to continue worrying about him."

"That part I agree with."

"Denying your jealousy I see…"

Misaki giggled as he bent down to brush his lips across her cheek. It had been odd, adjusting to his true personality. At a time like this, she was amazed that he didn't turn out like November… He had a playful aspect to him that was easy for a girl to misunderstand. Not to mention, he looked really hot. She was sure Kanami was now going to be on her case about him.

**********

Holding Li's hand as they stood in line, Misaki felt a sense of butterflies in her stomach. He had done his best to set her at ease, but she couldn't relax completely. After all, this was the first time she was actually going to try and get November's attention. Li had told her to relax, that there was no way that he wouldn't notice, but she just couldn't believe that it would be that easy.

People were whispering behind her and she strained her ears to hear what they were saying. It was hard to hear over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. Beside her, she felt Li squeeze her hand and she looked up towards him. He smiled, releasing her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be fine," he stated. "I meant it when I said you look amazing. The only way he wouldn't notice you is if he's blind."

"Thanks for coming with me. I really appreciate it," she whispered back.

Shaking his head, he would never refuse her request when she had no one else to ask. He knew the company she regularly kept; none of the others would be able to pull it off. A smirk crossed his lips as he thought of her attending with Saitou. No one would ever believe that. Kouno was no better, though a little more believable – if he didn't cower next to his supervisor.

"IDs," the bouncer asked.

Li handed both of them over and they were quickly admitted into the club. Though it was her mission to carry out, he pulled his wallet to pay for their entrance. They purposely left her purse inside the glove compartment of her car so she had one less thing to worry about.

A second bouncer opened the door for them when they were ready. Amused that even he was staring at her, Li saw that she wasn't even looking. The steady and serious light had settled in her eyes as she was mentally preparing herself for this evening. With a gentle hand at her waist, he pushed her into the club.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked when they stood off to the side.

"Um, sure. I'll have an apple martini."

"Okay, stay here. I'll be right back."

Misaki held her hand to her ear, a slight blush crossing her cheeks as he had purposely whispered into her ear. His breath had tickled across her skin, a weird sensation coming over her. It was a long time since his last mission and she was positive none of them would have been to play the part of an attentive boyfriend. Even so, he was really good at it.

She waited where he had told her to – partway into the entrance area, but not far enough to be inside the main entrance of the door. She couldn't see where November was this far away as she knew his designated corner was farther into the club. Not really sure what to do with herself now, she tried not to fidget with the dress. In the end, she was left playing with the curls in her hair as she twirled a strand around her finger.

"Excuse me."

"Hm? What is it?" Misaki asked, not realizing someone was talking to her.

"Are you with someone tonight? Why don't you come in?"

"Oh… I'm waiting for someone," she replied, not sure why this strange man was talking to her.

"Well, why don't I get you something to drink while you wait?"

"He already went to get something for me, but thanks," she answered, a slight frown crossing her features momentarily.

Where did Li go anyways? He told her to wait here, which she was doing, but he still hadn't returned yet. Maybe he was having trouble ordering? After all, she was pretty sure he hadn't been to a club before. He never mentioned it before…

She realized that the man was still hovering around her and she wondered what he wanted. Other people entering the club were starting to look at them. She noticed that the women seemed to frown, but she didn't understand why they were throwing her dirty looks. Even so, she was told to wait here and she trusted Li.

A quick glance at her watch told her that twenty minutes had already passed and he still hadn't returned yet… Sighing softly, she glanced around as she wondered why it was starting to get warm, even though she was near the entrance. Her question was quickly answered as she was jostled by a group passing by and the entryway seemed to be filled with people surrounding her.

"Hey! What the hell is going on in here?" the bouncer asked as he poked his head in. "Get inside and stop loitering around the entrance."

"Stop shoving me," someone said.

"Well I'm not going anywhere if she's not going anywhere."

Misaki glanced around, not sure who they were talking about. She had been too busy thinking about her situation to realize that everyone hovering around her was actually trying to get her attention. She felt bad that she was giving the bouncer a hard time and a little worried at the same time that Li was still missing.

"I'm sorry miss, but you're going to have to wait inside," the bouncer stated. "Before these people start getting any rowdier. You're blocking the entrance."

"Oh…"

When she finally made the first step, she watched in amazement as the whole crowd seemed to travel with her. What in the world happened? After making it inside, she tried to look around for Li, but she couldn't see past the men crowding around her.

"Let me get you a drink!"

"Hey, hands off! I asked her first."

"Um, I only wanted an apple martini," Misaki said.

There was a bit of a push as some of them rushed away to the bar and she was relieved. Hopefully they wouldn't keep at this all night, because she would never see November otherwise. Li was supposed to protect her, but he was absolutely nowhere to be found. At this rate, it was going to be a long night before the evening was over.

"So, why are you here alone?"

"I'm not. I came with someone," she answered. "He went to grab me something to drink, but he hasn't come back yet."

"His loss! Tell us something about yourself."

"Um…"

Misaki felt herself blush as she had no idea what to say, especially with all of them avidly staring at her. This was so awkward; it never happened before when she came. A few of them grinned and she couldn't tell what they were thinking.

"Hey, make way! The lady's drink…"

There was a scrimmage as various men tried to push their way to the center of the group where Misaki was standing. No one wanted to give way to the other since they wanted to be the ones closest to her. Finally, a hand poked through the crowd and Misaki watched as a man in his mid-thirties managed to break through.

She glanced up to find herself staring into a pair of gentle green eyes. Smiling, she felt relieved that he seemed like a nice person. Li disappeared on her, something she didn't want to accept, but the fact that there were this many people around her… It was true.

"Thank you so much," she exclaimed. "I was starting to get thirsty."

**********

**A/N:** Ahaha~ Li-kun luuuv~ But now we're getting somewhere! I wonder what's going to happen next... hehe~


	5. Chapter 5

Back with more! Thanks to everyone who is reading this :) I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'll try to write faster, but motivation comes in spurts so yah...

**********

**Chapter 5**

"That's so funny, Masaru," Misaki giggled as she listened to his story on how he had captured a thief who was trying to steal from what he thought was his safe box. "You should join the police force, you're so smart~"

The evening had started out odd, but eventually, the entire group which consisted of her and the men who seemed interested had moved to find their own area of the club to occupy. She still couldn't believe that Li would abandon her like that. As a result, she was left to accept drinks from the other men. Quite smart about it, she refused to accept more than one drink from the same man.

This way, no one thought that she was playing favourites. She wasn't quite sure how this would help her find November, but it was quite fun. It wasn't like she was completely drunk; just enough to let loose and enjoy the evening - might as well make the most of it, somehow.

One man had been unwise enough to try touching her where she didn't want to be touched and she taught him a lesson with a deathly pinch. When the other men saw that she was upset by what happened, he was quickly pushed out of the group and left to stand in the fringes.

**********

Standing to the side, half hidden behind the decorative plants around the club, Li watched with a smile. He could see exactly everything that was happening around Misaki. He knew she wouldn't understand why he was doing this, but she would eventually. No man was going to approach her if she was around him.

Despite his own entourage, any man would be interested to see what was going on when there were that many of his fellow species hovering around in one spot. November would be no exception; it was just a matter of time.

Though he had never been here before, he could understand how such a system worked. No one would dare to compete with November. As a result, the other men were left to hover around the available females. Rationally, it would make sense not to go where November was, but it was something of a vicious cycle.

The females were attracted to November's type as it was any girl's fantasy to think that she would be the one to conform him. As a result, they would follow him hoping that they could capture his attention, even if for only one night. Since all the pretty ones were following November, the point was for other men to follow where they could hope to make a rebound connection.

Since he had purposely left Misaki in the entryway, people would see her standing around by herself. He couldn't imagine November waiting around in an entryway. Instead, he would be comfortably seated in his own section. That way, a crowd of available men would be hovering around her since she wasn't preoccupied with a companion.

All he had to do was watch from the distance and make sure that he appeared at the right time; after Misaki had made her meeting with November. In the meantime, it seemed that everyone within her group was making the effort to not upset her. That made his job that much easier.

**********

"November, tell us about your resort house over in America," Brita purred as she cuddled up to his side.

He grinned, enjoying the feel of her chest rubbing against him. Putting an arm around her, he held her close. The other girls glared at Brita and he didn't miss their response. Even so, he didn't particularly care. They were jealous because she was the one he had picked for the night.

"You want me to take you there, is that it?" he asked.

"If you want to…"

"Maybe one of these days," he stated. "Now where should I start?"

They had heard the story on numerous occasions, but he wouldn't tire of telling it since that was what they wanted to hear. He glanced around his group, smiling at each one individually. It was the life; beautiful women hovering around him to lick up every drop of information that he told them; falling for him after a glance and a secretive smile.

"It's in a beautiful place called California," he told them. "Where the sun shines brightly. We could play on the beach with hot sand to warm our feet and take a swim in the ocean…"

Glancing up in surprise, a ruckus of noise captured his attention as he heard the faintest of a woman's laugh mixed in with the guffaws and chuckles of a large group of men. Frowning as he stared across the club, the source of the noise wasn't hard to find. There was a group next to the dance floor, so large that a number of men were hovering on the edge of it.

He had no idea who was there, but whatever was happening over there, none of them seemed inclined to move. Something else was said and more laughter was heard. Glancing at the other occupants of the club, he saw the women frowning as their companions miserably looked in the same direction he was looking in.

"November," Brita whined. "Why did you stop? Tell us more!"

"The water is cool and we could go sunbathing or surfing."

"You know how to surf, right? I bet you look very stunning when you go!"

"Stop interrupting!" Amber complained.

He was about to say more when more laughter continued to float his way. He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to know what kind of woman could capture the attention of this many men. Eventually, he disengaged himself from Brita as he stood up, inclined on going over there to see what was going on.

"Where are you going?" they complained.

"I have something I need to do."

**********

Her stomach hurt from laughing so much and she felt the need to relieve her bodily urges. Standing up a little bit tipsy, Misaki smiled as she managed to stand up straight without help from any of them. They all stood when she did, asking where she was going.

"If you'll excuse me for just a moment, I need to go to the ladies' room," she said demurely, a flush of red crossing her cheeks as she was telling this to a congregation of men.

"Don't be too long!"

She nodded as they were saying the same thing. Glancing at her watch, she wasn't sober enough to tell what time it was, but something told her it was time to hunt down her companion. It was getting late and she needed to work in the morning. Luckily, she didn't have to push her way through the crowd as they parted like the Red Sea to make way for her.

"Be a dear and take this for me," she said to one of them, handing over her drink, her fingers lingering on his hand.

After leaving the group, she looked around. She couldn't quite remember where the bathroom was. Nibbling on her lip, she tried to remember and instead, saw someone approaching her. Tipping her head to her side, it wasn't Li. Instead, he had wavy blond hair. Shrugging, she smiled and made her way towards him.

"Oops," she murmured when she stumbled forward.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said brightly as she grinned up at him. "You wouldn't happen to know where Li is, would you?"

"No, who is that?"

"Oh… Well I'm fine, so you can let me go now."

Trying to look around him, Misaki still didn't see Li anywhere. If he didn't show himself soon, she was going to be upset with him! She wanted to go home. It didn't help that this man was still holding onto her. She didn't say anything as she finally narrowed her eyes and looked up at him. She was close enough to see his blue eyes and smell the scent of cigarettes on his breath, a stench that caused her to wrinkle her nose.

"I know you!" she finally exclaimed.

"Do you now?"

"Mm hm, I do! You're November!" she stated happily.

"Well, I'm happy that you recognize me, my lady. Perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten me as to who you are."

"I'm an officer."

"An officer?" he asked in confusion, hoping for her name.

He had been surprised to see that many men hovering around, but after seeing her step out from the crowd, he could understand why. She was unbelievably beautiful with her hair in loose waves framing her face, her clothes hiding nothing as the short Chinese dress hugged her every curve. The color only served to enhance the rosiness of her cheeks. She had been the source of the laughter, a sound that reminded him of the tinkling of a gentle summer rain against the windowpane.

"I even have a gun with me."

His eyes widened in surprise as she was clearly tipsy, regardless of what she might try to claim. Ignoring her for a moment, he looked up to see that the members of her group were now glaring at him, even though none of them came to approach him.

"It's aimed right for your heart."

She giggled as she held her fingers to his chest, pulling the "trigger" and winking at the same time. When he captured her hand with his, she only smiled innocently at him. He leaned in towards her, about to whisper something in her ear when he felt a strong grasp on his arm. Glancing up in surprise, he found himself under the stern glare of cold, dark blue eyes.

"What do you think you're doing to her?" Li asked.

"Nothing, I just caught her when she stumbled."

"There you are, sexy~" Misaki stated with a giggle, pushing away from November and throwing her arms around Li's neck. "You disappeared on me all night long~"

"I had something I needed to do. You had other people to keep you company."

"Mm, but I still missed you."

Smiling to herself, she stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips against Li's. She wouldn't do this if she wasn't partially drunk, but it was part of the act; not to mention that she felt like it. He was really sexy tonight and she would never consider doing this in broad daylight. She could feel him kiss her back as his arms tightened their hold around her waist.

When they broke contact, she sighed softly and nestled her face against his chest. It registered in her mind that November was standing behind her, but she didn't really care. She was sleepy and it was so comfortable in Li's embrace. Whatever happened next, she would worry about it next week.

"You had too much to drink, my dear."

"That's why you were supposed to stay by my side," Misaki murmured in response.

"Thanks for your so-called concern, but I'll be the one to take her home," Li said to November, glaring at him again.

He hadn't missed the possessive way the other man held onto her and he held up his hands in defeat, taking a step back. The other men in the group were disappointed to see that she hadn't had been lying, even though her companion had been missing all evening.

"Can you walk?" Li asked Misaki softly.

"Mm, don't want to."

"Fine, I was supposed to watch you after all."

Misaki grinned happily as Li swept her off her feet to carry her out of the building. She glanced around the club as they were travelling towards the door. It felt weird to be in this situation, but she didn't really care. It felt nice to have that many people cater to her every whim.

"Bye, bye Mr. November!" she exclaimed, giggling as she waved towards him.

He raised his hand to acknowledge that he had heard her, wondering if she realized that her boyfriend had been giving him death glares. Even so, he had never let it bother him if she had a boyfriend or not. When he saw her again, he would just be extra careful. After all, he was getting bored with the way they fell over so easily at his every word; he needed a new challenge.

**********

"Misaki, sit properly," Li stated when he tried to settle her into the seat of the car.

She shook her head, refusing to let go of his neck and he was stuck halfway in the car, halfway out. Sighing softly, he gently placed his hands over hers and coaxed her fingers apart before pulling her hands away. She had done Kanami proud and played her part of mysterious seductress perfectly, a little too perfectly as she was still in that mentality. But he had noticed the gleam of interest in November's eyes after he showed up.

"Be a good girl, and sit still. I need to put your seatbelt on."

"Mm… Okay…"

He finally managed to get her to sit still and closed the door before making his way to the driver's seat. She was in no state to drive home and it looked like she was going to have to stay the night at his place. Thankfully, she had planned ahead and packed some of her things into an overnight bag that was sitting in the trunk of her car.

"That was really fun," Misaki said as they pulled away from the curb.

"Yes, I saw."

"Where were you anyways?"

"Doing my part of watching over you since all those men were hovering around you," Li stated.

"I thought you were supposed to be beside me…"

"You wouldn't understand. Just rest until we get to my place," he replied.

"Mm… You're still really sexy," she murmured.

Li only grinned and glanced over briefly, to find that she was already sleeping peacefully. It didn't bother him that she kissed him, though he wasn't sure how she would feel when she remembered in the morning. Even so, that was something to worry about later. All they needed to know was that the first step of their plan was successful.

**********

**A/N:** Misaki is -more- than partially drunk, but like everyone likes to do when they're drunk, she claims she's fine. But oh well... All the more reason for my Li/Misaki fangirlness to show through... Ahaha! What is it about chapter 5's anyways? They always seem to include a kiss scene between Li and Misaki (The Hunt... XD) Oh well! I like them! For all the other Li/Misaki fangirls out there, hope you enjoyed this chapter!! :D


	6. Chapter 6

Didn't take as long this time around! :) Back with some more... hehe~

**********

**Chapter 6**

"Ugh," Misaki grumbled as she awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. "What's going on?"

Holding her hand to her head, she had a hangover and her stomach rumbled at the smell of breakfast. Where was she anyways? She faintly remembered meeting November and things were hazy after that. The thing she remembered most clearly was being left in the entryway by Li as he disappeared after promising to get her a drink.

Rubbing at her tired eyes, she yawned as she glanced around the room. It wasn't her own; the only possible explanation was that she had spent the night at Li's place. She glanced at herself under the covers and saw that she was dressed in a t-shirt of Li's. Blushing, she had to wonder if he had changed her or if he had woken up Yin to help her.

Climbing out of bed, she went to the bathroom to see that her face had been scrubbed clean of makeup and a bottle of eye drops was left on the counter. She sighed as she was still wearing her contacts. A shower was mandatory before she even attempted to show up at work. Quickly running out to look at the clock, she sighed with relief as she still had time.

"Good morning, Misaki!"

"Morning Yin. Are you getting ready for school?"

"Yes. I'm supposed to meet July downstairs by the entrance," she informed them. "What were you doing yesterday? I've never seen you dressed up like that."

"You don't need to know," Misaki replied with a smile. "Better hurry if you don't want to keep your friend waiting."

"Oh, he doesn't mind! Sometimes, he even carries my stuff for me. He's really nice."

Misaki only glanced at Li, grinning, after hearing that comment. One of these days, she would understand more. But until then, she would happily do things at her own pace. She had yet to meet this July boy, but she was curious. He sounded like a good friend, based on all the praise that Yin could give regarding him.

"Don't let him tell you otherwise since I helped you change last night! Okay, I'm off!"

"Have fun at school," Misaki said.

"And mind your manners!" Li added.

"Bye!"

"I was going to ask that," Misaki said when she was gone.

"Mm… Well, I wouldn't mind, but Yin wouldn't let me anywhere near you after I carried you in. She was quite the mother bear. Well, help yourself. You'll need it. There's coffee in the pot already."

"Thank you… For everything."

"No, it's not a problem."

**********

Misaki entered the office, just a few minutes late that morning. To her surprise, she found her subordinates gathered around Kouno's computer. They didn't even glance up upon hearing her. Curious to see what had captured their attention, she went to join them. A blurry picture was on the screen and she nearly gasped when she recognized it.

"What are you doing?" she asked sternly with a frown.

"Oh! Chief!"

The three of them scrambled to their desks and Otsuka only shook her head when Misaki glanced at her. Apparently, she had missed the most of it. Even so, she was thankful that it was of blurry quality as she immediately recognized herself. Someone must have taken it last night…

"Kouno, come here."

"Yes Chief," he said miserably.

"What is that picture for? Is it a new lead?" she asked, when he was standing in front of her desk. "Is there something I need to know?"

"Uh… No… It's something my friend sent me last night…"

Sitting back in her chair, Misaki watched as he squirmed since she hadn't dismissed him yet. She wanted to know how many of those there were. Thankfully she was wearing contacts and makeup, something she didn't regularly do. At the same time, it was disconcerting to know that her picture was floating around on the internet. This one might have been blurry, but someone else might have taken a clean one.

"It's not going to be a problem?" she finally asked, unable to think of any way to ask what she really wanted to know without seeming too curious.

"No ma'am! I won't open it again while I'm here!"

"Good, then get to work. If you have free time to stare at pictures of women, then you have time to finish your reports."

"Yes Chief."

Misaki gave him a firm stare before she nodded and let him go. Inwardly sighing, she was going to have to be more careful. She hadn't even noticed the picture being taken. Also, if Kouno received it from a friend, it meant that one of his friends could have been one of the men around her. Next time, she might not be so lucky and actually bump into him.

As she turned back to her work, she felt a wave of exhaustion overwhelm her. This was draining more energy, more than she had imagined. Not to mention, she couldn't remember everything that happened last night. Li was being surprisingly uncooperative as he wouldn't fill in the gaps for her; she knew he didn't drink since he was the designated driver.

**********

"So how did it go?" Kanami asked.

Both Misaki and Li were sitting together in Kanami's living room. She had been unrelenting and demanded an update the moment they were both free from work. As a result, they were facing her interrogation. Misaki wasn't even sure how to answer her.

"Everything was perfect."

"What?" Misaki exclaimed. "How do you know?"

"I know."

"What happened?" Kanami asked Li. "Are you sure she caught his attention?"

"Yes, it was perfect. He's definitely interested."

"You weren't even there the whole time," retorted Misaki.

"That's the point. She played the mysterious seductress perfectly. It went so smoothly. November has no idea who she is, but he wants to know."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he has competition," Li answered with a grin. "She was practically falling into his arms, but jumped into mine the moment I showed up. The kiss was very realistic too."

"K – Kiss?!"

"You don't remember?" he asked her, amused as her eyes were as large as saucers.

"No… You wouldn't tell me what I did!"

"It's quite simple. I left her at the front door."

"Oh…" Kanami replied.

"What? Is that supposed to mean something?" Misaki asked in confusion.

"Of course! There's not a man in sight around you and you were gorgeous; the bombshell I told you that you could be if you tried… No one would leave you alone after that."

"Exactly," Li stated. "They're not going to be interested if I was hanging around. After that, she went to entertain her flock. You should have seen the circle… November was heading towards them the moment Misaki got up herself. He tried to pull his moves on her which is exactly when I stepped in. Wisely, she didn't say her name or anything. Immediately after that, we left."

"Oh… Misaki! It's perfect!" Kanami exclaimed.

Instead of answering, she just stared at the both of them. Obviously, she was missing out on something because she didn't understand how Kanami figured it all out after Li's statement. She didn't even understand how Li would know that such a ploy would work… However it worked, it seemed to have the results they wanted as Kanami was already planning the next stage.

"Oh, before you continue…" Misaki said, cutting in. "Just so you know, there's a picture of me floating around on the internet…"

"From last night?"

"Yes. I went to work this morning, and everyone was staring at it on Kouno's computer. When I asked him about it, he told me he got it from a friend…"

"Overnight sensation," Kanami replied with a smile. "Good. Everyone's just as curious to know who you are. It's exactly what we needed."

"And no one is going to ever find out."

"Not right away, no. We need to use the advantage to sink our claws into November. I'm sure it's going to be a race to find out who you are."

"You mean I have to go back dressed like that?!"

"Oh… I get it," Li said.

"You do?"

"Of course. Every guy likes a good chase, especially when you were such a mysterious babe. So now we just play with that fact. Tease them a little until they're dying with suspense to know exactly who you are."

Listening to his explanation, Misaki wasn't sure if she should be flattered that he called her a babe, or embarrassed that she would have to do that all over again. By now, she couldn't even count the number of times she had cursed her own mouth. The last thing she wanted was to continue dressing like that!

"We know his schedule, so we can use that. Show up at different places randomly, but this time… Not like you did before."

"What? I thought you wanted him to know who I was," Misaki answered.

"Tease them! Tease them! Seriously, you are never going to know how to capture a man's attention on your own… November prides himself on knowing women; thinks he can recognize her by her backside alone. So all we have to do is have you dress up as yourself, and blow him off when he thinks you're "her", as in the you last night. Keep doing this a couple times and he'll be confused, but hooked even more!"

"I can't go to a club like this!"

"I meant dress more conservatively, but still fit into the club scene. Maybe change your hairstyle, wear your glasses… Get a pair of fake ones or something if you don't want to go exactly like yourself," Kanami explained. "I'm sure I could find one of those."

"I can help."

"Right. And this time, you're on your own. Li-kun can't go with you or we'll give it away right away. Just mix and mingle a little, capture his attention and when you pretend you don't know him, you leave not too long after that. The fact that you don't even know him will rankle, not to mention that you'll remind him of you, the other one."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Misaki couldn't wrap her mind around all these plots and ploys that Kanami was talking about. On the other hand, Li was nodding his head to everything she had to say. It all sounded like mind games to her, and she despised those. Why couldn't they just find a way to be straight forward about it?

Of course Kanami wouldn't mind saying all these things… She wasn't the one who had to pull it off. She appreciated Li's help in the first stage, but he wasn't helping as his understanding of Kanami's planning seemed to feed her ideas. By the end of it, it was going to be completely out of her hands.

"Misaki! Are you even listening?"

"Yes, yes… Not that it's going to help one bit," she muttered. "I still don't understand why we have to go through all this."

"Because… November needs some excitement. I'm sure he's tired of the way the other girls just fall into his lap," Li explained. "You're the excitement. He wants to know who you are, but we're not going to make it that easy for him. It's easy… Just pretend you don't know him, even when he approaches you. That itself will pique his interest even more."

"Why is it that you know all this stuff?"

"Because I'm a guy," he replied.

"You think it's fun?"

"Sure, why not? It's not like I'm the one doing the chasing here. Besides, I don't like his type. It'll be fun to see him squirm. He deserves it."

"So what do I have to do again?" Misaki asked with a sigh.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!"

She only rolled her eyes, but she listened this time around as Kanami stopped ranting and raving ideas and actually took the time to explain. They stopped to give her time to digest all the small details, as well as time for questions. By the end of it, Misaki could feel her brain scrambled into a sloppy mess as she tried to remember everything they thought was important; and there was a lot…

**********

**A/N:** haha, I'm having a lot of fun with Yin and July XD I know he's supposed to be a doll, but in the story he's a human boy! And Yin's best friend... Lolz~ We'll see more of them later on... :D Hope you liked their planning session~ And the picture of Misaki floating around~ Preeetty!


	7. Chapter 7

Ahaha! I had a lot of fun with this chapter :) Hope you enjoy it!~

**********

**Chapter 7**

Dressed in clothes that were more her style in the sense that it wasn't squeezing the life out of her body, Misaki was starting to dread weekends. If it weren't for Kanami, she wouldn't mind the breaks from work. But now her weekends went directly into Project Ruin November – something she didn't even want to be a part of.

It had taken her more than an hour to get ready, something that she never did on a regular basis. There was too much to consider as part of this operation. Both Li and Kanami had told her it was easy, as long as she remembered everything they told her. Unfortunately, she had no grasp on these relationship things that they seemed to be experts on.

First, she had to carefully consider her outfit. It had to be something club appropriate, not that she would ever dress like her normal self at one. At the same time, she didn't want it to be over the top like that Chinese dress was. Another factor was that it had to be appealing because no one would want to know her if she didn't look attractive.

Secondly, she had to consider what to do regarding her face. They said not to go like she did last time, which was with her contacts and lots of makeup; at least it felt like a lot of makeup. Between the two of them, they must have ransacked glasses stores because she had about thirty different fake pairs to choose from. It was hard enough to get dressed; now she had to find glasses that matched.

Lastly, and this one was the most difficult of the three, was her hair. Kanami had put in loose waves that other time, something she had no patience to do. It was easy to throw it into a ponytail, but it didn't match her outfit. As a result, she had been struggling to put it up using one of the accessories that Kanami had provided.

Her hair was so long, she didn't know how to keep it up using hair sticks. Hair claws didn't seem to be big enough to hold it up either. When she tried to use bobby pins, they slipped out of her fingers as she wasn't skilled enough to hold back the piece she wanted to and slip the pin in at the same time. All in all, it was a nightmare.

The main reason why she wanted to clip it up was so that it didn't seem as obvious. In her opinion, one of her dead giveaways was the length of her hair. Not many people had hair as long as hers. If she could clip it all up, somehow, then it wouldn't be as obvious; it wouldn't be as easy to draw the connection between her now and the her last week.

It didn't help that they didn't let her go on Sunday, saying that it was too obvious. She was supposed to "play the field" by going randomly to any of the three, as long as she didn't go to the same one twice in a row. She already didn't like going to clubs in general. It wasn't going to help that she had to go fight her way through the other ones.

Because of their rule, she chose to go to Casablanca. It was better than going to Sakkaku where she didn't have time to get ready after work… At least, not at the rate she got ready. Besides, she needed the extra time to mentally prepare herself for this. She never expected she would have to go there again after she deemed the clubs inappropriate for their purpose. Unfortunately, neither Li nor Kanami agreed with her judgment.

**********

Moving around the club as much as she could, Misaki held her drink close to her chest. Honestly, she didn't want to meet anyone. Keeping in mind what happened after last week, she especially kept her eyes out for Kouno. He was the last person she wanted to meet. It would be so awkward…

They said to capture his attention by walking by his area, except she couldn't even get there. If it were up to her, she would just rush in, walk by and get the hell out of there. Though she wasn't claustrophobic to begin with, she was pretty sure she was going to develop symptoms at this rate. There were smelly lewd men surrounding her and half-naked women dancing around.

Despite Li's original verdict on the idea, he actually seemed to be enjoying it. Cursing herself for thinking of asking him, she should have kept her mouth shut and let things fall to the sideline. Instead, she opened her big mouth yet again to dig a deeper hole for herself.

Inwardly sighing, she was starting to harbour murderous thoughts towards November and all his kind. If he wasn't such a jerk to begin with, she would never be in this situation to begin with! She would happily go on with her life, working at the office and going home to sleep. She could go out to eat for fun on the weekends and randomly go shopping with Kanami when she was dragged into a promise. And never, ever, would she have had to set foot into this social phenomenon known as a nightclub.

As she tried to move her way through the club, squishing in between random people, her ungracious thoughts continued to grow. Because they were friends, none of them were directed towards Li or Kanami. The unfortunate victim of her thoughts was the man who had started the whole thing. She had only moved a few feet and she was ready to punch him at this point.

Another few feet and she was ready to kick him as well. Every few feet seemed to append more and more violent acts to her reaction towards him. She was comforting herself with first punching and kicking him, then throwing her drink in his face and smashing something on his head, then sticking his head in the toilet… The last thing she would do was shoot him, so there was one less player to deal with.

She laughed out loud and the people close by to her turned to look; she didn't notice. She was actually enjoying this – at least the thoughts in her head. She would think of rules and regulations when it came to the punishment of all useless men who preyed on women's fragile hearts. She would have her sense of justice. _That_ would teach them!

"Hey."

Grinning to herself, Misaki took another sip of her drink. It wasn't really a plausible idea, especially with her being an officer… But it took her mind off of the task at hand – an impossible task. In a way, this whole thing seemed to be awakening her dark side. Her innate sense of justice was being warped because of the disgusting situation she found herself in. A situation she couldn't escape because that would mean that she was being unfair to Kanami; yet a situation she hated above all else because she hated this type of thing with a passion.

"Hey!"

Someone grabbed her arm, making her spill her drink. Whirling around in surprise, that was the last straw. She paid good money for that drink! Narrowing her eyes, she glared at the person behind her. A slight sense of shock registered in her mind, but she was more irritated than anything. Apparently, Kanami and Li were good at calling the shots because the very man she had been torturing in her mind was standing behind her.

Her angry gaze travelled from his face slowly to his hand where it rested on her arm and slowly back to his face. Her expression didn't change. Using her free hand, she brushed him off in one swift motion. He seemed stunned by her reaction and didn't speak, even though he had clearly been trying to get her attention.

"Well, what is it?" she asked frostily.

"Uh… I…"

"Snap to it! I'm busy and you happened to spill my drink."

"I thought you were someone else," November finally stated.

"Thanks a lot! Wasting my time for no good reason," she snapped. "Are you happy now? You just ruined my mood."

He didn't say anything and Misaki glared at him again. With all those negative thoughts festering in her mind, she clenched her fingers around her cup, highly annoyed. When he didn't move or speak or do anything, she finally snapped and tossed her drink in his face.

"Get out of my way, you fat oaf!"

Tossing the plastic cup on the floor, she finally shoved her way past him and stormed off. At least they couldn't say that she didn't get his attention. It didn't turn out exactly how they had planned it, but she didn't care. If they wanted to stick to a plan, they could come act it out for all she cared. Making her way out of the club and back to her car, it took her a good fifteen minutes to calm herself enough to drive home in one piece.

**********

Back in the club, November was stunned as he stood rooted in place with Long Island Iced Tea dripping down his shirt. During the week, he had been thinking about the enchantress from Pink Ginger and how he could go about wooing her. He could remember it quite clearly, the moment that she had fallen into his arms and everything that happened afterwards.

He thought he had seen her, hence why he tried to stop her – especially since he didn't see her boyfriend hovering around. She didn't seem to be with anyone tonight. Purposely excusing himself from his group to follow her, he had never expected that type of reaction.

It wasn't her as she was wearing glasses that just didn't fit with his memory of the enchantress. In fact, it ruined the whole image. Even so, she had been overly upset. Sure, he was at fault for grabbing her like that. At the same time, she didn't have to go so far as to toss her drink at him and even insult him. In no way was he fat. Then she had shoved her way past him without a second glance.

By the time he looked up, she was long gone. It had been an honest mistake, so what kind of reaction was that? Confused at this point, he felt very unsatisfied that she only glared at him. She should be smiling when she saw him; after all, even his seductress had recognized him.

Eventually, he recovered from the shock and cursed as his shirt was completely ruined. The night was still young and he was covered in alcohol. If it had been a man who tossed it on him, that was one thing… But to have a woman toss it on him _and_ insult him to his face; it was a colossal blow to his pride.

Making his way back to through the crowd, he rejoined the girls and they had looks of horror on their faces when they saw what happened to him. Pushing aside the thoughts in his head, he smiled instead. They didn't need to know what actually happened.

"Oh no!" April exclaimed. "What happened to your shirt?"

"It's totally ruined!"

"It's nothing to worry about girls," he replied smoothly. "We can still have fun."

"But your shirt…"

"I can clean it for you," Corinna stated.

"No, you can't. That's not fair! You're just trying to get into his good books so he'll pick you next time!"

"No I'm not! I just can't stand the idea of him wearing something dirty!" she exclaimed.

"Girls, girls… It's fine."

Despite his words, they continued to bicker and he retook his seat with Amber by his side. She smiled at him, but didn't sit too closely. He couldn't blame her as he was wet… Even so, he refused to leave early because of that demonic woman. There wasn't anything he had done to deserve such treatment. She was the unreasonable one; he wasn't going to let her ruin his evening.

Unfortunately, it wasn't like he could just take it off, as would have been his first inclination. There was a dress code in effect after all. His two options were to stay and keep it on or to tuck his tail between his legs and run home to get out of it.

**********

Finally at home, Misaki sighed to herself as she pulled the clips out of her hair. Somehow she had managed to keep it up for the night. She needed a beer before going to bed. Then tomorrow, she would sleep in and completely ignore everyone, Kanami included. Updates could wait, unless she was going to break into her place and drag her out of bed.

Tossing the clips on the coffee table, she made her way to her room and quickly changed out of the clothes she had borrowed. Taking a change of clothes with her, she went to take a shower. Though she had calmed down, she couldn't shake the feeling of disgust that had come over her. She was sober and she had been that close to that fiend; not to mention that he touched her.

After her shower, she went to the kitchen to grab that much needed beer. The hot shower had helped in relaxing her tense muscles and clearing her thoughts. With a towel wrapped around her hair, she sat down on the couch and leaned back into it. Despite doing nothing all day, it felt like it had lasted 50 hours rather than the 17 hours it had actually been.

The refreshing cold drink went down in between deep breaths to keep her mood in check. Refusing to dwell on it, she was going to relax. After all that she had been through so far, she deserved it. She was going to enjoy her day off, like she was supposed to and no one was going to disturb her – absolutely no one. The last thing she did before she finally crawled into bed was switch off her phone.


	8. Chapter 8

Back with mooore~ Didn't have to wait -that- long! haha, a little bit of boredom settled in so I got to work! Another fun chapter :) Then again, I think all the chapters are pretty fun... Lolz~ Anyways! Enjoy!

**********

**Chapter 8**

"Where have you been?"

"At home," Misaki answered calmly, as she had expected this to happen.

"I thought I told you to call me as soon as you were back."

"I was tired."

"For the whole day afterwards?" Kanami exclaimed. "You even had your phone off and you never do in case of emergencies."

"Well I had my own emergency to deal with."

"And what was that?"

"A potential breakdown. I haven't even had a single day to myself since this happened," she answered quietly. "If it's not work, you and Li are cramming information about stupid nightclubs and relationships into my head. I've had just about enough of this."

Her friend would have said more, but sheepishly glanced away. After all, Misaki was purposely doing this for her sake. She knew better than anyone else how much she hated that type of environment. Yet she had been willing to put it aside to help her, thinking that it would cheer her up. Instead of being grateful for the lengths Misaki went through for her, she was ungrateful and badgering, pressuring her to do more when in fact what she had already done spoke volumes.

"Let's stop this then," Kanami finally said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I put you through that."

"I tried to tell you that it wasn't such a good idea… Then both you and Li were having such a field day with it… Of course you would, since you weren't the ones doing anything."

"I know. I've reflected on my past actions and I'm remorseful. Will you forgive me?"

"I think maybe," Misaki replied slowly.

"Now what do you want?"

"Only if you promise not to drag me shopping any time for the next three months," she answered with a grin. "Otherwise… Who knows what might happen."

"What if I don't?"

"Well… Maybe I'll just _accidentally_ spill some dirty secrets to a certain attractive man I know…"

"You wouldn't!" exclaimed Kanami.

"I would too! Speaking of which, he'll get his share of punishment as well… Mark my words."

"Oh fine, I promise."

Kanami didn't like that promise at all, but it was better than Misaki purposely telling Li something embarrassing about her. She wouldn't even know what she would say; how could she possibly look at him again after that? They knew too much about each other to take that risk.

Grinning to herself, Misaki was free! Both from the dreadful idea of capturing November's heart and having to go shopping with Kanami for the next three months. It was perfect. Now that they had worked that out, there was one last person who had to pay his dues for his part in the plan. And she knew exactly what she wanted out of him.

**********

"Hi, is this Yin?"

"_Misaki! Why are you calling?"_ the girl asked.

"I have a really big favour I need…"

"_Anything!"_

"I need you to give Li a message for me," Misaki stated.

"_Why can't you call him yourself?"_

"I need you to do this for me. It's important."

"_Oh, okay… What is it? I'll tell him,"_ Yin replied.

"Good. I'm coming over tomorrow and I want him to make all my favourite dishes along with dessert. I want the full deal. We're going to have a party at your place, so make sure that you invite July as well. I still haven't met him yet."

"_Awesome! A party?! How come?"_

"To celebrate my freedom," Misaki answered with a chuckle. "Tell him November 10-24. You don't need to understand. I just want you to be there with me. Can you do that?"

"_Okay,"_ she said skeptically, not understanding.

"Perfect. So I'll see you tomorrow and don't forget to bring July!"

"_Sure, he'll like it too! Li makes awesome food!"_

"Good, then I'll talk to you later," Misaki said.

"_Bye!"_

Hanging up the phone, Misaki grinned. It was going to be amazing since she knew he would make everything she liked, just like she asked. There was just one important fact that he didn't know yet… But he wouldn't know until she got there.

There would be delicious food to eat. If Yin remembered, she would get to meet her friend as well. She was really curious to know what kind of boy he was; someone who could stand the dynamic girl that Yin had become. Yin talked about him all the time, but she still didn't know who he was.

**********

"Misaki! You're here!"

"Hi Yin," she greeted. "You must be July."

"Hello."

"Come in! July, this is Misaki! She's a good friend of ours. She said she wanted to meet you since I talk about you _all_ the time and she never had the chance."

"That's right," Misaki replied. "I was curious to know who her friend is. I hope you don't mind."

"Mm mm," he answered with a slight blush.

"Today, in art class, we got a take-home assignment!"

"What do you have to do?"

"We have to draw something living, so I'm going to draw Mao," Yin stated with a grin. "I'm going to make him pose for me!"

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'm going to punish him," she replied deviously. "I won't give him his supper."

"I'm sure it'd work then. Why don't you talk with July while I say hi to Li?"

"Okay, come on July!"

The boy blushed again as Yin tugged on his hand and Misaki watched with a grin. So that was the infamous July she had been hearing about. She was surprised that he was so small. If he weren't friends with Yin, she would have thought that he was in elementary school. He was cute with his blond hair and bright blue eyes.

It was hard to say since Yin talked so much all the time, but he seemed on the quiet side. Even so, he didn't seem to mind her chatter. If anything, he was embarrassed by her prattling; especially since she didn't guard her words like adults did. It was sure to mean something to anyone else if she said she talked about them all the time…

Perhaps it was the fact that she was a doll that she hadn't developed those types of feelings yet. After all, it wasn't like she had an example in that regards. Even so, Misaki was positive they would come with time. Given a few more years, she could see July becoming an attractive young man. When that was the case, they would match more in terms of relationship conventions.

Since they were sitting comfortably on the couch, Misaki went into the kitchen where all these delectable aromas were drifting out from. Smiling, she saw Li at the stove as he was preparing soup. Making her way towards him, she reached out her hand and slid it up his back.

"Misaki! Are you drunk?" he inquired, whirling around in surprise.

"What makes you ask that?"

"You're behaving oddly; sneaking around like that and being all…"

"All what?" she asked innocently.

"All… You know."

"No, I don't know," Misaki replied lightly. "But I have something I need to say to you."

"Which you couldn't say over the phone… And made me cook all this stuff."

"You better not have forgotten dessert."

"I didn't," Li answered. "What is it?"

"Thank you, but take it all in now because that's all you'll be getting."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not allowed to eat any of it. Not one single taste besides what you tasted while preparing it," she explained. "Everything you made, and I mean absolutely everything, is for me, Yin and July."

"What?! Why?"

"Because… If Kanami has to promise that she won't drag me shopping for the next three months, then it's only fitting that you get punishment of some sort."

"That's not fair," he complained. "You know I need to eat…"

"Well, I'm sure I could make some plain rice for you. Besides, if you don't obey, then I'll have to make up some dramatic story to feed Yin. You know she likes me more than she likes you."

Li grumbled, but eventually agreed to only have white rice since what she said was true. If Misaki told her something, Yin would most likely believe her. After all, the girl looked up to her. Not to mention, he didn't want her friend to hear all sorts of wrong things regarding them. What would happen if he brought home weird ideas?

Grinning, Misaki blew a kiss in his direction before going to prepare the rice she promised him. She had to suffer going to those dreadful nightclubs; it was only fair that they suffered a bit. Besides, it wasn't like she was asking that much. Kanami only had to wait three months and Li only got a plain meal for one night. She was positive that Kanami would force her to go the moment her three months was up.

"Okay, I'm done in here."

"You never told me what happened," Li said.

"Well, it doesn't really matter anymore. Kanami said we can drop the whole idiotic plan so there's nothing to worry about. It's done and over. She's going to move on with life, since I'm sure there are plenty of other men out there for her to flirt with. That means my hands are washed of this and yours should be too."

"For now…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misaki asked.

"It's nothing."

Misaki glanced at him. The way he had responded, it wasn't nothing. Seeing the expression on his face, she knew that he was lying. He was giving her a sweet smile; she wasn't going to fall for that trick. She knew him better than that. Instead of pushing him to share his thoughts, she went to join Yin and July.

"Are you ready for supper?" she asked July, sitting down on the sofa next to Yin.

"Is it ready? Thank you for inviting me."

"It's not a problem. I was curious to meet you since Yin always talks about you when I come over. It was a good excuse."

He flushed slightly at her words, but overall, he seemed pleased to hear that he was held in high regard. The lull in their conversation was replaced by Yin as she started to tell July about Misaki's work as an officer. Eventually, Li came to get them when the food was ready.

He flashed a miserable expression towards Misaki, but she didn't relent. She only smiled in reply as she settled down to eat. They had been enjoying her misery, so she was going to do the same. As expected, Yin commented on the fact that he was eating plain rice instead of sharing their meal.

"You don't want to know," he answered glumly.

"That's so weird! You made so much good food too!"

"Don't worry about him," Misaki stated. "He'll be fine. Help yourselves, especially you July. I promise the food will be gone before you know it if you don't."

"She's not lying," replied Yin. "She eats a lot! Almost as much as Li does!!"

Glancing at the food on the table, the expression of stunned amazement on his face indicated that he didn't doubt her words. The amount was probably enough to feed twenty people… Yet there were only the four of them; not to mention that Li was only eating plain rice. He quickly took what he wanted, thankful that they had put an extra plate in front of him where he could place his food.

Yin helped him pile food on his plate before she did the same with her own. Watching Li curiously, he didn't say much despite feeling her eyes on him. Finally shrugging, she didn't say anymore. Instead, she grinned as she helped herself. It was always fun watching food disappear inside Misaki's mouth.

**********

**A/N:** The part where Misaki says "November 10-24" is where I put in a police 10 code. 10-24 = assignment complete; the message is supposed to mean that the November mission is complete. Just to clarify!

I had fun with this one though! I still think Yin/July would be super cute! So it was fun to have them actually interact in the story, instead of just mentioning July. He's more in character than Yin since he still doesn't say much... hehe~ Hopefully I can find more ways to put more of him into the story :)


	9. Chapter 9

Productivity at its finest! Another chapter!! :)

haha, I think the chapters just get more and more fun to write!! It's leading up to the exciting part~ Somehow, I have a feeling that this story is going to end up really long... A lot longer than I thought. I suppose I could make the chapters longer, but that really isn't my style. Anyways, enjoy!!

* As a note, Jumpingbeans480 brought up a good question. To clarify, the only person in the story who has his Contractor powers is Li. And Yin is still a doll. Otherwise, everyone else is just human. I know they're not really in the series, but the story just wouldn't work out if I stuck to the actual storyline like that. It's really hard to link it to the first season because of the way things play out. Hope that helps.

**********

**Chapter 9**

Standing by himself at the bar, November had excused himself from his ladies. It had been three weeks since he first met her and as of yet, he had never seen her again. There had been the look-alike the week after, but that wasn't what he wanted. He was bored of entertaining the girls. He wanted to start on his challenge, but it was difficult when his target all but disappeared on him…

Usually, he would have pushed it out of his mind completely. After all, he wasn't one to have lingering feelings towards any woman. At first, he tried to ignore it and stop himself from looking for her. Now, he found himself wondering more and more who she actually was.

"Whisky on the rocks," he said, making an order.

"Right away, sir."

Turning around, he leaned against the bar while the bartender went to fill his order. Glancing around, he couldn't help but sigh softly. Since she had appeared, everything about the whole social scene just seemed to diminish in terms of its ability to hold his interest. Two men joined him a few feet away and they seemed to be whispering about something excitedly.

Holding something between them, they kept staring it as they talked. Curious about what held their attention, November turned back to face the bar, straining his ears to hear what was said. He usually wouldn't care what other guys had to say, but something about the way their face was animated…

"This is it!" one of them whispered eagerly.

"Nice! Let me see."

"I can't believe you missed it. I mean, I haven't seen her since."

"Well, I can keep hoping," the blond one said. "I mean… She has to show up again sometime right? And for now, we have proof with this."

"Yah, you can keep that. I still have the master copy at home."

"Hm… But you know?"

"What is it?" the first one asked.

"She looks kind of familiar…"

November nodded his thanks to the bartender before he slowly moved towards the pair. The way they talked about this mysterious "she" was resonating with him. He wouldn't lower himself to personally ask, but the fact that they were holding something… What he could see to be a photograph… Walking by, he glanced over their shoulders and his eyes went wide as he recognized the woman.

He didn't have a chance to hear the rest of the conversation, but he knew of a way to find out what he wanted to know. Though the blond one hadn't been there, he still recognized her; at least thought that she was familiar. That was more clues than he had at the moment.

Smiling as he settled himself in the middle of the crowd, he finally called Amber to his side. April was keeping him company tonight, but he needed her to do something for him. She smiled demurely as she made her way towards him; surprised along with everyone else that he would single out another girl. It had been his policy so far that he only had one main girl per night.

"April, I need to talk to Amber for a minute."

"Okay…" she replied reluctantly.

"So, take a seat."

"What is it?" Amber asked as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I need you to do something for me; something that only you can do."

"Yes, of course," she replied with a hint of pride.

"You see that dark-haired man and that blond man over by the bar? They're holding a picture," November replied, pointing towards them.

"Yes…"

"They're talking about something really important. You know I can't possibly ask them without disrupting our evening together."

"But… I don't get to spend time with you if I go," she complained.

"Well, that's true. But this is something I need you to do for me. Like I said, only you will do. I'll make it worth your while," he replied with a grin.

"What do you need to know?" she asked with a blush.

"Anything and everything they know about that picture."

"Okay…"

Nodding approvingly, November grinned and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed a little harder, but finally made her way towards the two men he had pointed out. They would talk to her. If he asked himself, not that he wanted to, they would go on the defensive. He had seen the looks he received the night they actually met.

**********

"Um… Excuse me," Amber said shyly as she approached the two men that November had pointed to.

They turned around in surprise as they hadn't noticed her. Glancing at each other, they quickly turned back to look at her, hiding the picture behind their back. It didn't take them long to recognize her as one of November's girls. The question was what she wanted from them, as they knew how hard it was to pry one of them away from him.

"Hello," she said with a smile.

"Uhm… Hello."

"W – What can we do for you?" Kouno asked nervously.

"I just thought that you guys were having a lot of fun," she said with a small smile. "I noticed you two chatting so happily when I was coming out of the bathroom."

"Oh… Well…"

"Uh, it was nothing really," Hiroshi, Kouno's friend, stated.

"Aww, I know what I saw… You just don't want to tell me… What are you hiding behind your back? You put it away the moment you saw me…"

Kouno blushed as she started pouting while trying to peek behind his back. He never had a girl this pretty so close to him. Even so, he didn't think she would want to know that they were talking about another woman… Trying not to be swayed by her proximity, he glanced at Hiroshi for some help, but he only shrugged helplessly.

"Please? Pretty please?" she asked. "Show me what it is."

"Oh fine…"

Slowly, he pulled his hands out from behind his back and handed over the picture to her. Smiling as she looked at it, she glanced up at him. November had wanted to know what they were talking about, but she was a little disappointed that they were talking about another woman. Even so, he promised it would be worth it if she found out what they said.

"Who is she? Is she your girlfriend?" she asked innocently, looking directly at Kouno.

"No! Uh, I mean… Of course not."

"I met her a few weeks ago," Hiroshi explained. "But we don't really know who she is… So I was really happy that I took this picture of her."

"He was showing me since I wasn't here when they met…"

"And that's all?" she asked in confusion.

"Well… We just thought that she was really pretty… But you're pretty too!!" Kouno exclaimed. "Even though I didn't see her, I was telling Hiroshi that she seemed kind of familiar, but not…"

"Thank you!"

"He was saying that it kind of looks like his boss," Hiroshi explained, not wanting to be cut from the conversation. "But knowing his boss… That would never be her."

"Why not?"

"Because she's the serious type and she would never been caught dead here. Also, she doesn't look that pretty. She wears glasses too."

"What do you do?" Amber asked with a small smile.

"I'm a police officer…"

"Eh? That's so cool! I bet you catch lots of bad guys and everything! I… I always thought police officers were really awesome," she stated shyly with a slight blush.

Kouno blushed in response as this was the first time he ever faced someone who was impressed by his job. Most of the time, he never even got the chance to say that part… And this time, she had purposely come to seek them out…

"I work in Foreign Affairs Section 4," he stated proudly.

"Ooh… Sounds important! What do you do exactly?"

"Well, I work with my partner, but we focus on catching Contractors who have broken the law."

"That's dangerous!" Amber exclaimed in response. "I… I heard many, many stories about bad people like that on TV… I, I feel so much safer knowing someone who purposely catches them."

"That is my job."

"Not that you actually do anything," Hiroshi muttered under his breath.

"Um… Well, here is your picture back. She's really pretty! I need to get back now… It was really nice talking to you."

"You too…"

Kouno and Hiroshi watched her leave, casting sheep eyes in her direction as this was the closest they had ever been to having a beautiful woman talk to them. Before she reached November's group again, she turned around to give them a small smile and a playful wave. Stupidly, they waved back as they continued to stare at her.

**********

"Why did you want to know what they were talking about?" Amber asked November when she was sitting next to him again.

"I thought they were having fun. What were they talking about?"

"Some woman that one of them met a few weeks ago…"

"And that's all?" November asked.

"No…"

"Then what else did they say?" he inquired with an encouraging smile. "You stayed with them for quite a while. They must have said something."

"Well… The taller blond one said that she seemed kind of familiar…"

"How so?"

Amber hesitated as she couldn't understand why he was so curious to know what they said. After all, he never cared about this sort of thing in the past… When she was slow to respond, he sat even closer to her, taking her hand in his. He smiled at her and all her worries flew out the window.

"He said that she seemed like his boss, but that she wasn't the type," she explained softly.

"Did he say anything about where he worked?"

"Um… That he was a police officer."

"There must be a hundred police stations around in Tokyo though. Anything more specific?" he asked, pressing her for all the details.

She shook her head as she couldn't remember anything else besides that. He did say something else, but she was trying to remember. Sitting next to November, it was hard to concentrate. Even so, he was watching her so she tried to think back to what they said. Putting her hand to her face in concentration, she tried to recall everything.

"She's the serious type so they didn't think it was her, even though she kind of looks like her. She's not pretty though and she wears glasses. The lady in the picture didn't have glasses."

"Where he works?" November asked, reminding her of what he wanted an answer for.

"Oh! Um… I know! He said he has a partner! And that they try to capture Contractors. You know, those bad people that are sometimes on the news… That's scary work."

Inwardly sighing, November thanked her with another kiss on the cheek. He wanted something more specific, but figured she wouldn't remember everything. At least he had some place to start with… Reminded of the second meeting, it was possible… After all, she had glasses that evening. No one had to know; he could do his own searching.

Amber returned to her seat since April was complaining about being ignored for the evening. Grinning as he turned back towards her, November promised that he would make it up to her by picking her again the next evening. To this, April smiled and nodded her head while the others whined and complained that he never picked them.

**********

**A/N:** Can't complain that there was no November in this chapter!! Lolz~ Using his girls to get his answer... I can totally see him doing that!! But now that he has _some_ clues about his mystery woman, we can move along with the story...


	10. Chapter 10

My apologies that I took so long to update!! But in celebration of a new season of Darker than BLACK (YAY!!), here's a new chapter!! More of November since he's no longer in the series... He's not my fave _fave_ character, but I still like him! :)

**********

**Chapter 10**

Getting off work, Misaki grinned to herself as she left the office building. Things couldn't be going any better. Just today, Kanami had tried to ask her to go shopping, but Misaki conveniently reminded her of the promise that they had made. Sighing, Kanami had forgotten and had to let the subject matter drop. As a result, she got off scotch-free for another weekend!

Things were going smoothly at work. Kouno had given her an odd look for the last few days, but she ignored him. All she had to do was glare at him before he would stop looking. If he didn't, there were other ways to deal with him… There was a whole cabinet full of papers that needed re-organizing as they had made changes to their classification system.

No one had gotten around to it yet since it was filled with information from old cases… Humming happily, she tucked away that information in the back of her mind. That was the last thing she needed to think about. For now, she was going to go home, take a shower and enjoy her supper. It had quieted down since Contractors were starting to learn that they weren't above the law.

Turning towards the right as she had parked outside of the office building, she shuddered as she felt eyes drilling into her back. Slipping her hand into her purse where she kept her gun, she didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to try something in front of the office. Even so, she couldn't be too careful… Slowly turning around, she glanced towards the man leaning against the office building.

A wrinkle formed on her nose as he had a cigarette lit between his fingers. Maybe it was the smell that had bothered her subconsciously. Turning back around, she pulled her hand from her purse and continued walking. To her surprise, she heard footsteps following behind her. Her hand quickly went back into her purse.

"What do you want?" she demanded, turning around suddenly to confront him.

Her eyes went wide as she recognized who it was. What was _he_ doing here?! Kanami had promised that things were over between her and November; not that anything had even happened. Yet, that didn't explain why he was standing in front of her, waiting outside of her office. She wasn't supposed to recognize him… Calmly smoothing out her features, she tried for a smile, but failed.

"Hello," he murmured, like it was normal to be following someone.

"What do you want?" Misaki demanded again, not falling for it. "Why are you following me?"

"Are you always this snappy?" he asked. "You'll get wrinkles right here."

Misaki flinched and pulled away as he was about to touch his finger between her eyebrows. Why did _everyone_ have to say that? Besides, if he wasn't here, she wouldn't have to frown! He was the one who had shown up unannounced, to ruin her evening plans for a reason she still didn't understand – he wouldn't tell her what he wanted.

"Never mind, I don't have time to talk to you."

Turning away, Misaki started walking away, but he was still following behind her. He wasn't following too closely, but it still bothered her because she knew he was right there. Finally, she couldn't stand it and turned around to face him again.

"What do you want?" she demanded for a third time. "I don't have time to play with you. Why are you following me anyways?"

"I'm conducting an experiment."

"An experiment?" she asked skeptically.

"That's right and I'm following a hunch."

"What hunch is that?"

"This…"

November took a step towards her and Misaki instinctively backed away from him. She was wary around him because of what Kanami had gone through. Besides, it was his fault that she was put through the torture of going to night clubs and getting her photograph secretly taken, to find her own subordinate holding a copy of it…

She continued to back away from him, until he took two quick steps forward to catch up to her. When she would have moved away, he casually placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Before she even had a chance to brush him off, he plucked her glasses off of her face and she couldn't see anything.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed. "Give them back to me!"

"Maybe I will, for a price," he replied with a grin.

Sometimes, it was good to put a bit of trust into a rumour. It wasn't really a rumour, but he wasn't in the habit of listening in on other people's conversations. In this case, though Amber had done the work for him, it was true. Though she was noisy and frowning, she matched exactly with the time he had seen her again. Without her glasses, he recognized her. She wasn't wearing makeup, but it was definitely her.

"I'm not going to fall for your stupid ploys."

"Well then what are you going to do about it?"

"This."

Misaki pulled out her gun and aimed it at him. She wasn't in the mood to play games with him and he had completely ruined her evening by showing up. After what had happened, she hoped she would never, ever see him again. It was bad enough that she had to go through with it a couple times… To have him find her on his own; that was too much.

"You can't shoot me; that's illegal!" he shouted.

"I'll just claim self-defence. I'm a pretty good shot, not to mention that you're in close range. Now give them back to me right now. If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to have to do something about it. Don't waste my time."

Disbelieving that she would actually pull a loaded gun on him, November grimaced and finally gave the glasses back to her. She calmly put them back on, all the while with her gun still levelled in his direction. Finally, she glared and shoved the gun back into her purse. She didn't have to give him another warning before she headed off on her own.

November watched her leave with a grin. It was a little intimidating when she had the gun directed at him, but overall, he was amused by the encounter. This was exactly what he needed! The fact that she was hard to get was what made it exciting. All he had to do now was find a way to win her over so that he could get to know her better.

**********

"Where is he?" Misaki demanded.

"Um… What happened? Why are you so angry?"

Misaki didn't stop to answer as she continued to pace the room. Helplessly, Yin could only watch in amazement as she had never seen Misaki so upset before. She had shown up unexpectedly. At first, she had been excited that she came over for a surprise visit… But that was only until she took a closer look at the expression on her face.

She had murmured a mundane greeting before she quickly demanded to see Li. Unfortunately, Yin had to inform her that he still hadn't returned from work. As a result of that information, she had taken up pacing in their living room. Nothing she said seemed to get through to her and she was a little intimidated. Usually, Misaki was very nice to her. She was just relieved that she wasn't the target of her wrath.

"I need to talk to him right now. Isn't he usually home by now?"

"Usually, yes… Can't you talk to me about it?" Yin asked gently.

"No. I don't need to talk about anything. I just need him to tell me _exactly_ what he did to put me in this horrendous situation. He better get home within the next five minutes!"

"Oh… I um, I'll let you wait for him here… I uh, have some homework I need to do. If you want anything, you're always free to help yourself…"

She gave her a curt nod and Yin quickly escaped the room. If she was always like this, it was no wonder that her subordinates were terrified of her. Even she was a little scared and she wasn't even directing that anger towards her. Silently praying that Li hurried home, Yin locked herself in her room. She didn't want to know what happened.

With Yin gone, Misaki sat down on the sofa with an angry growl. She felt remorse that she had terrified the girl like that. It hadn't been her purpose to terrorize the girl in her own home. Even so, she knew Li would have an answer. After all, he seemed to know everything about what was going on in November's head. She even recalled him making a mention of seeing him again; even if not in those words exactly.

After that encounter with November, she had changed her mind about going home. Instead, she made her way to Li's place. She had expected him to be home, but was surprised when he wasn't. As a result, Yin had been keeping her company until she finally scared the girl away. Crossing her arms over her chest, Misaki frowned as she glared at the door, willing him to return.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait that much longer. Two minutes later, she heard the key turning in the lock. Jumping up from her seat, she rushed out to the entryway and yanked the door open. Li blinked in surprise, but he didn't seem startled. She imagined that it was due to his training, that he had sensed something.

"Hello," he said calmly.

"About time you got home!" she exclaimed.

"They needed extra help today… I didn't expect to see you. You usually call before coming over. Where's Yin?"

"She's doing homework."

Li raised an eyebrow as he knew just as well as Misaki did that Yin wouldn't willingly do her homework if she was over. She didn't say anymore as she stormed back into his living room, her back held stiffly straight. Wondering what happened, Li gently closed the door behind him and removed his shoes.

"What did you come over for?" he inquired when he joined her.

"I came for answers. I know you have them."

"What happened?" Li asked, surprised that she would glare at him as she answered.

"Everything wrong happened! I have no idea how it happened, but when I left work today, November was waiting for me… He even dared to touch me and snatch my glasses off of my face! Well, I showed him who was boss. What I want to know is _why_! Why would he come to my workplace like that? I thought no one knew who I was!"

"I thought something would happen."

"I remember you saying so," Misaki retorted, annoyed by the grin on his face. "That's exactly why I came over since you seemed to know exactly what was going to happen."

"Sit down," instructed Li. "I told you already – he needs excitement and you're providing it."

"That doesn't explain why he showed up or even how he knew where to find me. He was grinning at me until I pulled my gun on him."

"I can already imagine it now," Li answered with a laugh. "I told you; he's bored with the other girls. He needs excitement which he decided was to woo you. As to how he found you, I have no idea. I just expected something to happen because no one would leave you alone after what happened at the club."

"But you were there with me," she complained.

"Do you honestly think that the idea of a boyfriend would discourage a man like November? If anything, that's even more of a challenge for him because he has to win you over when you already have me – supposedly."

"Can't you do _something_ about him?" Misaki whined. "The last thing I need is for him to hover around at my office! It's bad enough that there's that photograph of me floating around… I _don't_ need a man like November hanging around."

"What do you want me to do? Kill the man? That's probably the _only_ way you'll stop him. Anything else would just encourage him."

"Of course I wouldn't have you kill him! There must be something I can do to make him go away! It was horrible enough to see him at the clubs. He smokes! He's a player! He thinks he's God's gift to mankind… Or at least to women. Though some might agree with that, I am _definitely_ not one of those brainless girls who fall for his blatantly calculated tactics."

"Well… I suppose I'm partially to blame for this," Li admitted. "Since I knew how well it would work. But anything you might try will only make him more determined. He's just that type of person. Why not just give in and act like those girls you despise?"

"No! I absolutely refuse to be so stupid! Do you even think I could pull off something like that around him? There's no way I could possibly degrade myself to giggle and make sheep eyes at him. Can't you just pretend to be my boyfriend again?"

"I told you… That will only make him more determined to steal you away from me!"

"We can still try… Maybe if we're convincing enough, he'll leave me alone! I mean, it's easier to relax around you. I might be able to manage to make it seem like we're in love."

"That's easy enough if you have a few drinks," Li stated with a grin. "I happen to remember a lovely moment that night we first met November…"

Misaki flushed as he casually reminded her of the kiss they shared that evening. She still couldn't believe that she did something like that! Not because she didn't find Li attractive, but because that wasn't like her at all! She still had a hard time believing that she had managed to attract November to the point that he would seek her out on his own…


	11. Chapter 11

It's always fun to write some more after watching more of this series! Woot~ Season 2!! XD

Yay for fun chapters!! haha, I really like this chapter :)

**********

**Chapter 11**

Misaki sighed as she was leaving the office, another late night again. Because she was usually the last to leave, a sense of unease always lingered around her. She didn't want to see November again and he already knew where she worked. As a result, she would check in every direction before she made her way to her car.

So far, it didn't seem like he was around. The streets were quiet, just like it had been the previous few evenings. Thankful that he wasn't around, Misaki released a sigh of relief and felt the tension leaving her body. She wanted to go home and sleep. It was silly to feel apprehensive about the situation, but she couldn't help it.

Speaking to Li had been no help at all. He had assured her that short of killing the man, or killing herself, nothing would stop November. The only other option was to give in. She refused. There was no way her pride would let her simper in his presence and pretend that he was interesting. Absolutely and utterly no way in hell that would happen!

Unfortunately, she celebrated too early as she noticed someone standing by her car when she approached it. Steps closer revealed to her that it was the very man she had been hoping to avoid. A sense of recognition had already registered in her mind with the way the light reflected off of his blond hair. She didn't know anyone else who had that hair color. Even so, she would not let him intimidate her.

Holding her head up high, her back still, she carried herself with regalness befitting a queen. She had her purse with her, her gun safely inside. If she really needed to, she had that protection. For now, she would attempt to speak to him civilly and determine what it was that he wanted from her.

"Hello," she said when she was close enough.

"Good evening, my lady."

"What is it that you want?" Misaki asked, her tone of voice indicating that she thought him beneath her notice.

November watched her as she marched towards him with the same grace she had the first time he had met her. There was not a doubt in his mind that she was the one. He could understand why her subordinate didn't think that it would be her; after all, her frosty attitude was enough to intimidate a lesser man. Not him. This was exactly what he wanted – a beautiful woman who was worth the chase.

"There are many things I want," he replied with a slow grin.

"And what might they be?"

"First of all, I would love to know your name. Secondly, the opportunity to spend the evening with you – perhaps take you out for supper. Those are examples to start with. I'm sure I could think of many other things."

"My name is none of your business and I refuse to spend any more time with you. You'll ruin my evening if that were the case," answered Misaki, glaring at him. "Now remove your presence from my sight. You're blocking the way to my car."

"Tsk tsk… Such harsh and hurtful words."

Instead of complying with her wishes, he stepped towards her. Refusing to back down, she didn't step back but made a move for her purse. He was faster as he seemed to read her mind. His fingers wrapped around her wrist to stop her movements. His grip wasn't tight, but Misaki stiffened from his touch. Suppressing the shudder, she shoved him away with her other hand.

"Now play nice," he stated with a grin, still holding her wrist. "You're frowning again."

"If you want me to stop frowning, then get out of my face!" she snapped, tired of being nice. "I'm hungry. I'm tired. And I'm cold! Now get out of my way!!"

"Mm… Well, I can't help you with the middle one, but I can with the other two."

He didn't make a move as he wouldn't forcefully take her against her will. But at the same time, this was his way of telling her that he was ready for her any time. She made the move to push him again, but he easily captured her other wrist in his and pulled her close. Misaki struggled against him, but he was stronger than her.

"For now, I'll listen to your wishes, but I will be back," he whispered as he leaned towards her, his words spoken into her ear.

She didn't wait to hear anymore. Angry beyond words, she stopped struggling and stopped on his foot as hard as she could. When he yelped in pain and released her to grab his foot, she kicked him as hard as she could before she dashed towards the car. The door opened and closed, slamming shut behind her before she was gone in a second.

"Feisty…" November murmured to himself, as he rubbed at his shin.

Even though he was hurt in the process, it was worth it. Not because he was masochistic, but because he was that much more determined to win her over. For now, she might be cold as ice… She was the exquisite rose that everyone admired from afar, but full of thorns when one tried to pluck that beautiful bloom.

**********

"I want to kill him! Bloody his face until he's unrecognizable and kill him!!"

"_Misaki… Calm down!"_ Kanami exclaimed.

"He touched me and held me against my will! I should have shot him instead of kicking him! That was not enough… Oooh, I am so angry!!"

"_Misaki!"_ Kanami exclaimed again.

"What?"

"_You know you wouldn't do that… I'm surprised you even went so far as to kick him."_

"He whispered his dirty words in my ear," she screeched. "He was _that_ close to me! And I couldn't do anything to stop him!"

"_Maybe you need to consider going home early. I'm sure he wouldn't approach you if other people are around. Leave with Kouno or Saitou."_

"No! I refuse to let him dictate my actions! There is work that needs to be done and he will not be the one to scare me away from my work! Absolutely not! I'll just… Kill him! That would solve _all_ my problems!"

Misaki paced around the room, so upset she couldn't even continue with her rant. The first thing she had done after arriving home was to call Kanami and inform her of the latest events. Even she had been surprised by the information that November had sought her out outside of the clubs. Apparently, she wasn't as insightful as Li.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" she finally asked accusingly when she calmed down enough to speak.

"_What do you mean?"_

"How in the world did you even fall for someone like him? He's so fake and disgusting… I don't know what _anyone_ sees in a man like him! Couldn't you have picked a better man? A man who wouldn't break your heart like that? And one that isn't so obviously a jerk?"

"_He's good-looking! And he was sweet…"_ Kanami replied, a little hurt by her judgment.

"That's his tactic! Playing with us by telling us exactly what every woman wants to hear! Except he lacks all capabilities for sincerity!"

"_I know that now…"_

"Oh Kanami! I'm so sorry," Misaki exclaimed, hearing the hurt in her friend's voice as she was rubbing salt into her wound. "I just don't know how to handle him! He won't leave me alone and the moment I thought I was safe, he shows up! Li said it wouldn't work even if I pretended to be in a relationship with him! And I absolutely refuse to giggle and smile in his direction, like his words actually mean something to me – not that he'd believe me now."

"_I'm sorry…"_

"It's not your fault," she replied with a sigh. "It's natural to want revenge… _He's_ the one at fault, not us. If he wasn't like that to begin with, then we wouldn't be in such a mess!"

"_Except there will always be someone like him…"_

"True, but we both know better now. Why don't I set you up on a date with Li? At least that way, one of us can be happy."

"_No! I couldn't! Besides, _you_ should be the one seeing him! Not me. You know him better than I do and no… Just no. I couldn't. I'll be fine. I think I just need a break from this whole relationship business,"_ Kanami stated. _"I don't know how I can help you… I never imagined that this whole thing with revenge would actually work so well!"_

"Of course not. Neither of us did… The only one who did was Li and now he says he won't help me! I still think it'd be better if we pretended to be dating! At least this way, I have some sort of a buffer against him!"

"_Maybe try talking to him again. Tell him you feel scared or intimidated by November and by the fact that he comes to you when you're alone at night,"_ suggested Kanami. _"He might not think it'll work, but I'm sure he'll be concerned if you say that."_

"You know I'm not a good liar…"

"_And yet, you said you panicked when he grabbed you. He might be playing around with you, but that's still not the way to go around it. He never did that to any of us before."_

"I didn't panic; I was too angry," Misaki explained with a sigh. "You know I can handle myself and Li knows that too."

"_You still couldn't win against him if he really wanted to do something to you,"_ insisted Kanami. _"You don't know how far he'll go next time! Tell him. Tell Li that he tried to do something to you. I can't see him ignoring your concerns!"_

"Oh fine… I'll think about it."

"_Good. I feel so horrible for getting you into a situation like this! Can you ever forgive me?"_

"Of course," Misaki said fervently. "You were never the one at fault. I could never blame you!"

"_Not even a little bit?"_

"Okay… Not never, just a little. But it is not your fault that November has such a twisted and horrible personality! We'll think of something, somehow! I'm sorry I called so late to rant at you…"

"_No, that's what friends are for! You put up with me. Get some rest and I'll try to think of something too."_

"Thanks! I'll talk to you later."

Misaki hung up the phone and sighed as she put it on the table. Maybe Kanami was right. Li wouldn't be so callous as to disregard her concerns. It was true that November had tried something. He didn't hurt her, but any other woman would have been scared the moment he grabbed her. Okay, so that wasn't true… But in a situation like that with another man in his place…

So far, Li refused to pretend, but maybe it would work. He thought he had everything figured out, but there had to be an exception to the rules. November didn't follow any rules that she knew of, so maybe… Just maybe…

Right now, she had no other options as she was drawing a blank. Besides, it would be easier if they were together as she couldn't imagine him approaching her if Li was around. That way, she could still stay late, as was her routine, and not worry about seeing him.

Since her mind was made up in that regards, she sighed again and went to her room. She needed to change and take a shower. The day had been too long, factoring in that encounter with November. It was already long enough without him in it. The fact that he had shown up a second time was enough to throw her off.

Pulling her sleepwear from her dresser, she headed towards the bathroom. A long hot shower with a cold beer to follow was exactly what she needed. Ranting on the phone at Kanami had drained her remaining energy; what was left after dealing with November. Somehow, someway, she would get rid of him. Of that, she was completely determined.


	12. Chapter 12

Back with more! *sigh* I was hoping to watch more of the second season, but it was only the raw version released. Boo~ Hafta wait for the subs... hehe, so I went to work on the next chapter!! Hopefully you like it :) I can definitely see Dear4Life enjoying the implications of this chapter... :p

**********

**Chapter 12**

For once, Misaki left work on time, as in the same time everyone else did. It was kind of amusing to see the shocked expressions on everyone's face, Horai's included. In fact, he seemed the most shocked out of everyone – his jaw had even dropped as his lips formed an O. She was tempted to walk over there and push his jaw back up, but that would be inappropriate behaviour towards a supervisor.

"W – Where are you going?" Saitou finally asked nervously.

"I have a few errands I need to run. Is there a problem?"

"N – No problem…"

He quickly shook his head as if he was terrified that he would get more work, just for asking. She wasn't that mean, though she was surprised that he ventured to ask. She doubted Horai would even dare to ask. Though she treated him with respect, she was sure that she intimidated him just a little. Not just because of her father, but also because of her serious personality.

"Then go home," she stated. "I'll be back tomorrow, unless you want more work to complete for tonight."

"No! We're okay!" Kouno exclaimed. "Come on, let's go! Uh… Oh… I mean, yes chief…"

Misaki was tempted to laugh, but held it in as she didn't want to destroy the image they had of her. It worked well to her advantage. Instead of laughing, she gave him a steady gaze and nodded her head once. When the elevator door chimed, opening on their floor, he quickly scrambled to get in, dragging Saitou with him.

"Are you going to come with us?" Saitou asked, holding the door for her.

"No, go ahead."

"See you tomorrow chief," Otsuka said.

Giving them a wave of her hand, she turned her attention towards her commander. He looked like he wanted to say something, even though he had yet to speak. Though he glanced at her, he didn't say anything. The look of shock had been replaced by one of confusion.

"Commander?" she asked.

"No, it's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I guess even she needs to take time off," she heard him mutter to himself as he left.

Holding back the grin, Misaki waited for the elevator to arrive. True, she was a workaholic. But at the moment, something more urgent needed to be handled. It was always funny how everyone thought that she was a monster; that she didn't know how to laugh and enjoy life like the rest of them. That was just the image she had purposely built up for the benefit of her position, but it wasn't true.

As she stepped into the elevator, she turned to push the button that would take her to the main floor. She had given Kanami's suggestion more thought and finally made the call to Li. Like she had said, he wouldn't cast her aside if she had something that she was genuinely concerned about. The tactic of pressuring him into playing her boyfriend role hadn't worked, but if she told him about November's treatment towards her…

She shook her head to push aside the doubts that lingered in her mind. Li wasn't a callous man, but rather the opposite. Even if she told him that she was just tired and needed his help, she was positive that he would do what he could. The problem was that she had taken the wrong approach with him before.

**********

"Hello Misaki!"

"Hi Yin," she said with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm great, now that you're here!"

"Did something happen at school?"

"Kind of," she replied slowly. "I was called on in class to answer the question, but I couldn't think of the answer. The teacher made me stand the whole class… It was so embarrassing! Thankfully, July promised he would help me with studying! He's really smart! Isn't that great?"

"Did you study?"

"A little," Yin mumbled. "But it's really boring! I don't like that class at all! Why can't I just take art instead? I like that class!"

"Now, you know that's not the right attitude," Misaki stated with a small smile. "You should be trying your best in all your classes. It's hard, I know, but you can't just do whatever you want. Do you want to be held back a year while July goes to the next grade without you?"

Hearing it that way, Yin quickly shook her head. That would be horrible! Everyone would know that she failed and she would be the oldest in her class… Not to mention that she wouldn't be in the same class as July. They wouldn't get any time together except for lunch.

"That's why you need to try your best. I'm sure Li doesn't need you to be the top of the class for all your subjects, but he'll be proud of you if you do your best."

"Okay… Thank you!"

"Whatever for?" Misaki asked in surprise as Yin gave her a quick hug.

"I was really upset that the teacher picked on me and it was nice of July to promise to help… But the way you put it… I'll try my best!"

"Good girl."

"Mm… Anyways, Li will be home any minute now since he knows that you're coming. Can I stay with you before I go do my homework?" Yin asked.

"Of course!"

Grinning in response, Yin pulled her to sit on the couch. Misaki seated herself as Yin told her about the latest events in school. They had received their art assignments back and she got one of the highest marks in the class; she was really proud of herself.

**********

"Yin, we're going to go out for a little bit. Be good and watch the house!"

"Okay…"

Misaki smiled as she sounded disappointed that she was left behind. Even so, she had promised that she would work on her homework after Li returned. They had eaten supper first. Now that she had the chance to talk to him, she wanted to do it in private without anyone overhearing her.

"We'll be back in an hour or so. I'm sure that Misaki wouldn't mind spending more time with you afterwards, as long as you finish your work."

"That's right," she stated. "We'll be back later and we can talk then."

"Okay!"

Leaving the apartment with Li, they had decided to talk a walk around the neighbourhood. It wasn't exactly private, but she didn't think they would meet anyone that they knew. Despite giving up his former profession, Li still liked to keep a low profile.

They walked in silence as they enjoyed each other's company. Unlike the energetic Yin, they didn't have to be in conversation at all times. Though the shyness was only part of his cover, Misaki had discovered that he was still an introverted man. He was good at playing different roles, but for the most part, he was reflective and quiet. They had walked for a block before she decided to bring up the topic.

"I really wanted to talk to you today," Misaki said.

"You did say that over the phone. What happened?"

"Well… I ran into November again," she explained, not surprised that he had clued in during their telephone conversation.

"Again? What happened?"

"Nothing happened that first time since I pulled my gun on him; he left me alone after that. But two days ago, he approached me again… I was already worried after seeing him that first time. I started checking every time I left the office. You know I pull late hours… I thought I was safe since I didn't see him. Yet, when I reached my car, he was standing there waiting for me."

"You shouldn't be staying so late by yourself," Li pointed out.

"I have to finish my work – you know that. I'm in charge, so I can't leave everything until the last minute or pile the work on everyone else."

"Then what?" he asked, not commenting on her statements.

"At first, it was nothing. I told him to leave since I didn't want to talk to him. Every part of my demeanor indicated that I didn't want to speak with him, yet he still wouldn't leave me alone… He approached me, so I went for my gun. I guess he expected it because I pulled it on him last time. He grabbed my wrist and when I tried to push him away, he grabbed my other hand too. He wouldn't let me go! Not even when I struggled against him… I finally had to stomp on his foot to get him to release me."

Misaki waited quietly, hoping that she could convince him. She didn't think she came across as scared, not like most women would be; she just needed him to feel concerned. Tactfully refraining from saying more, she let the information sink in. Already, she could see him analyzing her explanation in his mind.

"I don't want to have to change my lifestyle just because of him," she added softly. "I like my work and I like staying late. It helps me think when I'm by myself in the office. You know they're not things that I can always take home with me…"

"I know that. I never understood why you stayed so late. It's dangerous; even if you are an officer. Did you tell Kanami?"

"Yes… She told me to tell you."

"He's taking this a lot farther than I thought he would," Li stated. "I never imagined that he would actually get physical with you; it's not their type of tactic. No wonder why you didn't want to talk about this around Yin."

"Mm hm… I know you said you wouldn't pretend to be my boyfriend and that's fine. But at least… If you have time, could you at least wait for me after work? Just until things die down… I really don't want to have to worry about him on top of all the work I already have."

"Yes, of course. I'll try to give you my schedule beforehand so we can coordinate. If I really can't pick you up, at least leave with someone else. I'm sure Kanami is worried about you. I don't think he'll approach you if you're not alone. Though, Kanami might not be the best choice since he might recognize her and put two and two together…"

"Wouldn't it be better that way?" asked Misaki.

"Hm… I don't know yet. For now, I'll come get you when I can. Otherwise, leave with one of the others. I'm sure Saitou would make a good candidate."

Li grinned at her and she felt herself blush a little. Even he had noticed that her subordinate had some feelings for her. She recalled Kanami's words and the short experience she had with manipulation. It was a lot easier with someone like him. She could imagine Kouno trying to run away if she told him that they were leaving together…

"He's a good man; a good and dependable man," she stated, clearing her throat.

"Exactly… Though he might not be the most dependable, he's better than the other one. He would do his best to keep you safe. Come on; let's get back since Yin is waiting for us."

Nodding in reply, Misaki was relieved that it worked out. It wasn't like she had lied to him. In a way, she was terrified of November. Not because she was afraid of falling into his traps; more afraid that he would never leave her alone and throw a kink into her life. If she persisted for long enough, she was sure he would eventually give up.

Li wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close momentarily. She turned his way, glancing up to smile at him. Smiling back, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting her go. Though he expected November to do something about the situation, he never expected him to go so far as to physically try anything.

He knew that Misaki could handle herself, but at the same time, they didn't need to put her in unnecessary situations. It was better to do what he could to alleviate her concerns. Not to mention, Kanami was worried as well and she had already been through enough. If it would help by picking her up from work, then that was what he would have to do.


	13. Chapter 13

Back with more! I'm having more fun with this story than I thought I would! :) It's quite the challenge to think of appropriate Misaki/November moments, but it's all good.

A bit of a treat in this chapter... hehe~ Misaki, November AND Li... Need I say anymore??

As for all the sweet Misaki/Li moments... It's my Misaki/Li preference kicking in every time I put them together. Even if they're not destined to be lovers (in this story), they can be really close friends!! XD

**********

**Chapter 13**

If there had been any shadow of doubt regarding whom she was, it was eliminated the moment he saw him pick her up that first night. November was taking his time, getting to know her better by watching her – watching her mannerism, her habits, trying to see what he could learn about her. He wasn't a stalker as he only approached her and watched her at work, more accurately after work.

She must have snitched on him, because her boyfriend had never picked her up before this. Of course, he didn't have to since no one else knew about her secret. Otherwise, he would have been around her like a hawk. Even so, he couldn't figure out why she hid behind that frosty and hard exterior. She wasn't like that when she was with her man.

With everyone else, she was almost expressionless – always stony-faced. But with him, she would laugh and smile. It was quite mysterious; it was exactly what he needed. He needed to understand their relationship better so he could better come between them. So far, she had only frowned at him, going so far as pulling her gun on him.

He didn't approve of her glasses as she was hiding her beautiful features behind them. At the same time, when she smiled, he could still tell that she was pretty. For a moment, he wondered if that was why she was so guarded; men would approach any woman who was remotely pretty. Without her glasses, he couldn't imagine her being left alone; even he had been captivated by her and he had his choice of any woman he wanted.

Realizing that they were leaving, he had already decided to approach them. He wasn't going to let her forget that she was his target. It was only a matter of time until he made her his. Until then, he would play the game.

**********

Li smiled as he was walking with Misaki towards her car. Like he had promised, he came to pick her up after work. He knew that Misaki wasn't an easy woman to scare, but at the same time, he didn't like her to be in compromising situations. No matter how strong she was, he didn't doubt for a moment that November would do whatever he wanted, if he really wanted to.

He wouldn't actually force her since that was against his code – every player had it. To force a woman to do something against her will was an automatic fail. The point was to use his charms and his means to woo her; to convince her through his actions and words that he was worth it.

Misaki wouldn't understand that. Instead, she had been worried about what could potentially happen next. To alleviate her fears, along with Kanami's, Li did what he could to help her. After all, it was because he had created this situation that it was happening to her. He still didn't think November would back off because of his presence, but he knew Misaki would continue to worry if he refused to help.

The smile almost broadened as he sensed the other man's presence behind them. He had expected something to happen. Even so, he wasn't going to startle Misaki as she was happily chatting next to him. This was going to be interesting. November was going to make his presence known any minute and it was up to him to scare him away.

Actually, it should be fun; he hadn't had any challenges either since he had gone into hiding. He wouldn't say that he enjoyed killing people or other Contractors. But at the same time, the mental activity of getting through enemy territory without getting caught… There was an adrenaline rush from it. This time, he wouldn't be hurting anyone. It would be a manly fight; him versus November; the boyfriend versus the player.

"Good evening," he heard November drawl out slowly.

Eliminating the grin from his face, Li turned around just as slowly as he had spoken. He felt Misaki stiffen as she recognized his voice. Even so, she didn't act intimidated. Instead, she was annoyed and he could sense it. When his eyes connected with November's, he didn't speak but stared him down. Li wasn't surprised when the other man did not bat an eyelash, returning the gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Misaki asked.

She was about to step forward, but Li put his arm out in front of her. November's eyes narrowed slightly and he knew it came across as a protective action. Misaki glanced at him in surprise, but didn't say anything else. Though he didn't say anything to her, he almost grinned as she took a small side step so she was half hiding behind him.

He wondered where she learned to do that or if she was acting on instinct. He supposed all females knew how to play up their charms, whether they realized it or not. The fact that she was behind him not only indicated that she trusted him, but also the fact that she had a sense of fear – regardless of how strong or weak it might actually be.

November's eyes narrowed a little further after Misaki had made her move. After she had stepped behind him, she had gently placed her hand on his outstretched arm. His gaze leaving November's for a moment, Li turned his head to the side so that he could speak to her without raising his voice.

"Whatever you do, don't say anything," he murmured. "I'll handle this."

"Okay," she whispered back, a grim expression on her face.

"What do you want?" Li asked, turning his attention back to November.

During their brief interaction, November had cleared the expression on his face and he watched them with a relaxed and amused gaze. At the moment, Li couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was a hard man to read if he wanted to be. It was more proof of his skills at the game, but he did not intend to lose since this was a challenge for both of them.

"Nothing much. I was hoping for a charming evening with your girlfriend since I haven't had a chance to be with her these last few evenings," November said with a grin.

"I think she has had more than enough of your presence."

"Maybe so, but I find her utterly charming and would like to know her better."

"I think not," Li replied lazily, knowing he had to stay emotionally detached like he did.

His type got off on the fact that they riled up their target's significant other, if they did have one. For their first battle, Li was not going to let him win. He didn't say anything further, keeping his gaze locked on November. He broke contact briefly to glance in Misaki's direction, grinning in response.

"Maybe not today," November finally stated.

"Not ever," retorted Li. "Keep your hands off of her."

"Are you threatening me?"

To this, Li only grinned back. Whatever he imagined was up to him. He could already imagine all the threats that November had heard of; from rearranging his face to killing him. Before November could say anything else, Li felt Misaki's fingers tighten on his arm and he turned his head towards her.

"Let's go," she whispered. "I'm tired."

Nodding in response, Li turned back to November. He still had the same expression on his face, but Li knew that he was actually watching them carefully. Only raising an eyebrow in response, Li turned so that his back was towards him, placing his arm around Misaki's shoulders.

"We don't have time to talk to you," Li said, walking away. "She's getting tired."

Lifting up a hand in a gesture of a wave, Li pulled Misaki closer to him. She glanced up with a smile and rested her head against his shoulder momentarily. Smiling in return, Li led her away from November where he stood rooted in place, still watching them. They didn't have to turn around to feel the intensity of his gaze.

They both let out a sigh of relief when they were finally in the car. Li wasn't tired or threatened by November, but was relieved to know that he won. It was a small victory, but he hadn't lost his touch. Though his opponent was harder than most to analyze, he wasn't impossible. Misaki's sigh of relief had nothing to do with battle; she was just glad that Li was there with her.

"I'll take you home," Misaki finally said with a smile for her friend.

"Thanks. Do you want to stay over for a bit? Yin would love to spend time with you."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do since you're helping me, but not tonight. I'm always extra tired after dealing with him, even if I didn't have to do anything this time around."

"Okay, but you know you're free to come over any time you want," Li stated.

"I know."

**********

Watching him make his way into his apartment, Misaki sighed contentedly. During the ride to Li's place, he hadn't mentioned a thing about November – for which she was extremely grateful. If it had been Kanami with her in the car, she could already imagine the headache that would be starting at the back of her head.

Li was surprisingly sensitive to other people's emotions, more so than any person she knew. Then again, it was probably part of the training for his Contractor work. While he remained calm, he could easily read other people based on the slightest information such as tone of voice, mannerism or even body language.

With another night free from November, Misaki hoped that he would start giving up soon. He already knew that she had a boyfriend. Despite what he said of hoping to know her better, she wasn't going to fall for that. Those were the fake charming words he probably used a million times on just as many girls. She was not going to fall for it. If those words were used by any other man, then maybe she would feel a little flattered…

Now that she had the evening free to herself, she decided to spend it watching TV. Maybe there was something mindless she could watch. She found that watching shows that didn't require any thinking whatsoever helped her to relax and sleep better.

**********

November watched them leave with a calculated gaze. They were close; he could read it in the way he pulled her that little bit closer as they walked away. She had smiled up at him like nothing was amiss, despite the recent confrontation with him. So far, he wasn't getting anywhere with this. He wasn't ready to give up – far from it. He had just hoped that he would make some progress. As of yet, he still had not learned her name.

The only thing he knew about her was that she worked with that blond man he had seen back at the club that one night. It wasn't like he could remember who he was or even what he looked like. He had been busy plotting ways of wooing his mystery woman. The other thing that he knew was that she had a boyfriend, but it wasn't like that was a real issue.

Digging around in his suit pocket, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and took one of the tubes from the package. As he shoved the box back into his pocket, he pulled out a lighter. There was still so much work to be done… He would go home right after he finished this. Blowing out a puff of smoke, he let his hand drop to his side with the cigarette sandwiched between his fingers.

As he glanced around, he wondered what tactics would work on a woman like her. Like a beautiful rose, she was full of prickly thorns that he had yet to get around. Already tasting a sense of victory, seeing her with her boyfriend, he wasn't going to give up. The game was going to be worth it when it was all over.

When he went to take another drag, he realized that the cigarette had already smouldered to a stub. Dropping it on the ground, he crushed it before he bent down to pick it up. Though he was a player, he knew that, he was still a law-abiding citizen. On his way back to his vehicle, he dropped the stub into one of the butt disposals.

What he needed was a grand scheme to win her over; prove to her that he was worth it more than her current boyfriend. He didn't fully disapprove of her taste, since he had to admit that the other man was charmingly attractive. He just wasn't him and that automatically made him inferior. Nothing common would do for a woman like her.


	14. Chapter 14

Aww~ My internet is being slow so I haven't had a chance to watch the latest episode yet! *Sniffle*

Writing is always good though! :) Glad to know that people are enjoying this story. I think I said this before, but the story is turning out to be waaay longer than I ever expected it to be. Somehow, I think it'll be even longer than The Hunt for BK-201. Maybe I just need longer chapters... haha, but that makes it difficult to stretch an idea for that long. Anyways, I hope you will continue to bear with me until the end; however long it might take. (Hopefully not too long.)

Enjoy the new chapter~

**********

**Chapter 14**

"Hello?" Misaki said, answering her phone.

"_Hi Misaki, are you busy today?"_

"Hi Kanami, what is it? You know I said I wouldn't go shopping with you for three months. The time limit isn't up yet."

"_I know. No shopping,"_ Kanami stated. _"But that doesn't mean we can't go out for coffee right? I really, really need to talk to you!"_

"Oh alright… Of course we can go for coffee."

"_Perfect!"_ exclaimed Kanami. _"I'll pick you up in half an hour. Sound good?"_

"That quickly, like I don't have any other plans?"

"_You never have any plans for the weekend, except probably to eat or something… Lord knows, you eat a lot. I don't even know where you hide all that stuff."_

"I have a fast metabolism," Misaki explained with a grin. "Besides, I need energy to do work!"

"_And yet, every woman would be jealous of you if you just wouldn't hide it… You have flawless skin and a slim, beautiful figure. Yet you love to eat grease and junk. Seriously! Life can be so unfair!"_

"You're the beautiful one. I'll be ready, so see you then."

"_Okay, talk to you later then!"_

Misaki smiled and hung up the phone. It wasn't the first time Kanami had sprung a surprise meeting on her. That never bothered her. It was the fact that she had sounded surprisingly excited, even _without_ shopping as part of the deal. She couldn't even begin to imagine what she wanted to talk about.

Even so, she wouldn't disappoint. Her friend knew her well enough to know her plans like the back of her own hand, just like she did for Kanami. She knew that her best friend was over November by now, so could it possibly be another man in her life? She wasn't like November, but her friend had quite her own following – at least, Misaki could imagine that she did. That was partially why it amazed her that Kanami would fall for a man like that…

Shaking away those thoughts, Misaki refused to think of that man. He was nothing but trouble. She had enough trouble keeping him away on a regular basis as it were. She didn't need to waste any seconds of her weekend thinking about him. Banishing him from her mind completely, she turned her thoughts to Li and wondered if he was at work.

He didn't always work weekends, but she knew that he would have his hands full if he didn't. After all, that would mean that he had free time to spend with Yin. Then again, the girl could be spending time with her precious friend, July. Thinking of them brought another smile to her lips. Perhaps, she could drop by for a visit if she had time.

For now, she had to get changed and get ready. If Kanami said half an hour, she meant it, just because she knew that she would listen and not make her wait. Placing her phone on the side table, Misaki went to grab herself a change of casual clothes – something that wouldn't trigger Kanami's fashion policing too much… There was hardly anything in her wardrobe that was Kanami-approved, hence all the shopping trips that she was dragged on.

**********

"Hello!" Kanami exclaimed.

"Hey, what's going on? You sounded really excited over the phone."

"Oh… Have I got news for you! What do you want though? Coffeehouse or dessert house?"

"Definitely dessert!" Misaki replied with a grin.

"I should have known… So tell me! How have things been going with Li-kun?"

"Things are just fine. He was there when November showed up last time, so I didn't have to deal with him at all," answered Misaki. "So what is it? Is there a new man in your life or something?"

"Nuh-uh. Not telling until we get there!"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Misaki was amazed Kanami didn't explode with excitement. She wasn't exactly the best at keeping news to herself. Even so, she could be amazingly stubborn when she wanted to be. Instead of pressing her for more details, Misaki asked her how things were going at work.

**********

"So tell me already!" Misaki exclaimed.

They were sitting down with dessert in front of them and Kanami _still_ hadn't told her what her news was. It was making her extremely nervous. She had ordered a strawberry parfait, mocha swirl cheesecake, brownies, apple pie, a honeydew milkshake, milk custard and churros with chocolate sauce. Watching her weight, Kanami only ordered a strawberry slush.

"Guess who has been missing!"

"Missing?" Misaki asked in confusion.

"That's right! A certain _someone_ hasn't been showing up at the clubs!"

"Um…"

"November!" announced Kanami, when Misaki was taking too long. "I finally went back yesterday night and it turns up he hasn't been going for a while now. Isn't that odd?"

"Yes, but why should I care? He can do whatever he wants to."

"Don't you get it?" Kanami asked. "He's serious! He goes to see you, but he doesn't go to the clubs even though you've rejected him multiple times. He's never done that before and I mean _never_. The girls are all wondered where he's been while the guys are ecstatic since he's no longer competition."

"_This_ is what you wanted to tell me?"

"Well yah! You're the _only_ person who has been seeing him lately! Is that _not_ news? No one else knows what he's been up to lately and everyone is curious. He used to go every single night and now he hasn't shown up for weeks!"

"I wish you didn't tell me," Misaki replied miserably. "That's horrible news!"

"I didn't really say it was good news… But you have to admit that it means something right? This is November who we're talking about."

"That's right; it means that I'll never be rid of him!" Misaki complained. "Why does he have to change his lifestyle completely to come pester me? He should just take a hint and leave me alone!"

"It's kind of flattering though… I mean, that he would try this hard."

"It's not flattering at all. He's only doing this because I've rejected him."

"Then make it easy and just go along with it," Kanami stated.

"No! I couldn't possibly. That's just…" Misaki's voice faltering as she shuddered. "Not even remotely possible. He has a horrible personality. He thinks he's so wonderful when he's scum and he even smokes."

Kanami only sighed as her friend continued to rant. She should have known that Misaki didn't care for this news, though she thought it was exciting. November wasn't one to take things this seriously, but he was with Misaki. She was determined to get rid of him and he was determined to draw her close.

**********

Sitting alone in her apartment, Misaki was trying to concentrate on her assignment as there had been a recent series of attacks by NJ-629 and she was in charge of the case. So far, he hadn't attacked any civilians, but it was only a matter of time before his behaviour escalated. Currently, they knew he was tied to several cases of vandalism and one case of harassment.

Despite the fact that he hadn't killed anyone, they still wanted him captured. This type of behaviour from Contractors was what continued to terrify the general populace. Unfortunately, he was quick on his feet and he was nowhere to be found. The crime scenes were cold by the time they arrived. She hadn't been able to obtain any leads.

Even though Horai was putting pressure on her, it wasn't helping her progress. She knew what needed to be done; any officer knew that. It was a lot easier to say something than actually carry it out, especially when she had no clues on where to find him.

It didn't help with the latest information she had learned from Kanami. Though she had brushed it off as nothing at the time, she couldn't push it out of her head completely. Why would November give up his normal lifestyle for something like seeking her after work hours? He should be happier with women who melted under his attention.

She was the last woman in the world, probably, who would do something like that. It didn't make any sense at all. It didn't help that Kanami's news seemed to match with Li's statements that he wouldn't give up. Damn it! She had enough on her mind to think about already, she didn't need him to distract her from her work.

Though she tried, it continued to bother her and it wasn't before long that she finally pushed away her papers with a groan. The analytical side of her wanted to sit down and investigate into every detail she knew about him, in attempts to figure him out. The process would be put to better use looking over the NJ-629 case, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get it out of her system unless she did something about it, Misaki pulled out a separate notepad. On the top, she carefully wrote his name across in big bold letters: NOVEMBER. Quickly, she jotted down what she knew about him.

Player, heartbreaker, jerk and every word she could think of that was related to that aspect of him quickly went onto the list. Next, she wrote down what she knew about his appearance, but she didn't get past blond hair and blue eyes. She refused to even contemplate on the possibility that he was good-looking.

The next thing she did was jot down an outline of what happened between him and Kanami, given the details she did know. She didn't think Kanami told her absolutely everything, but she knew enough to know that he was the one who broke her heart – quite coldly at that. This way, she wouldn't forget his true character.

Next, she wrote down all the things that frustrated her about his relationship with her, _if_ it could even be called that. She was tempted to write him down as a stalker. After all, he somehow knew where to find her when _no one_ knew about her trips to the clubs, besides Kanami and Li. Thankfully, Kouno hadn't been there the first time they met because she figured he would recognize Li and put two and two together.

Thanks to him, she had also found out that her picture was floating around on the internet. Luckily, she normally looked different than she did there – she didn't think anyone would think that it was her. After all, her personality didn't match with the image of the woman in the red dress. Another thing to be thankful for was the poor quality; she could already feel herself squirm and blush with the knowledge of that grainy photo.

When she was finally finished writing down everything she could about November, she took a few minutes to review what she had on paper. She took good note of the section regarding Kanami. A moment of cattiness welled up inside her as she remembered what her friend had gone through, and what she had subsequently went through because of him.

Taking her pen, she viciously attacked his name with a glare. It was childish, but it was enough to help relieve some of her tension. When she was eventually satisfied, she glared at his scribbled out name with a sardonic grin. It reflected how she had felt the times she was in his presence. Finished with it, she finally took great pleasure in ripping the entire sheet of paper to tiny shreds.

As she retook her seat after tossing out the garbage, she approached the NJ-629 case with a new vigour. Already, she had decided that she would put her utmost effort in capturing this perpetrator. Then maybe next time, she wouldn't be saddled with such a time-consuming case as she was the only available agent by the time this case came around. She had already assigned all the other ones.

Not only that, she decided she would take the time off during the weekend and spend time with Yin. It was always relaxing to spend time with her as she had a million or more things to keep her attention occupied with. Any visits to Yin also included deliciously home-cooked meals from Li. It was perfect. She could be away from the only place that November knew to find her and spend time with her friends, especially since she didn't have to worry about Kanami asking her out again. They already got together this weekend.

**********

**A/N:** haha, I really like the last part where Misaki is alone in her apartment and the whole part with scribbling out November's name. It's my fave part in this chapter :p


	15. Chapter 15

A fun chapter! :) With some characters making a bigger appearance... hehe~

**********

**Chapter 15**

Fed up with not learning any new information about her, November decided to do something about it. Before the day was over, he was determined to learn her name, if nothing else. She wasn't going to tell him directly as he had already asked nicely one night. He would just have to do a bit of snooping on his own.

It had been a painful task, trying to dig in his memories for the right information. At the time, he had been more interested in the photograph itself and not the men who had been looking at it. Finally, from what he remembered, there was a taller blond man and a shorter man with dark hair. He had seen a pair matching that description during his surveillance of the building.

He knew the approximate time that they would leave as they tended to leave around the same time each evening. Before they got too far, he was going to intercept them in hopes that they would give up information unknowingly. Glancing at his watch, it was almost time and he put himself in the middle of the sidewalk.

Pulling a slip of paper from his pocket, he slowly gazed up at the building, keeping his eyes on the front door for his targets. The moment he saw them leaving, he turned his gaze back towards the paper and slowly ambled towards them. Muttering to himself so it seemed more believable, he purposely kept his eyes on the sidewalk.

"Oof!" one of them muttered. "Hey, please watch where you're going."

"Oh!" November exclaimed, looking up in surprise as he had bumped into one of them. "I'm sorry. I was looking for this address and I wasn't watching where I was going."

Putting on his most charming smile, he looked at both of them to see that he had bumped into the skinnier blond man. Instead of responding to his apology, the man only stared at him. Wondering if he had something on his face, November finally turned to glance at the other one.

"It's okay," the chubbier one said. "Where were you trying to go?"

"Here," November replied, pushing the slip of paper into his hand.

"This is just right here, where we came out of! Were you looking for someone in particular?"

"I wanted to speak to the lady in charge… Her name escapes me right now…"

"Ah… Lady in charge? You mean chief?" Saitou asked.

"Chief?"

"Ah, sorry! That's what we call her. You must mean Kirihara-san since I can't think of any other lady in charge…"

"Kirihara-san?" repeated November, hoping to draw out her full name.

"That's right. Kirihara Misaki, Section Chief of Foreign Affairs Section 4. Ah! Perhaps you have some information on NJ-629? I heard she had a meeting with an informant."

"Yes, thank you."

"Right, by the way, I'm Saitou. Perhaps we'll see more of you later? And this is Kouno, my partner. Say something," Saitou instructed.

"Uh… Yah… Sorry about that," he muttered, finally drawn out of his stupor caused by recognizing November, someone he never expected to see outside of a club.

"Ah, thank you very much Saitou-san."

"Not a problem. Come on, Kouno. We're going to be late and you were the one who said you didn't want to stay too long if we didn't have to."

"Coming, coming."

"Just go inside and go to the front desk," Saitou instructed. "They'll tell you exactly where to go after that. She'll still be in the office."

November nodded in reply as he watched them walk off, a grin breaking out over his features the moment they were out of sight. Perfect! Everything had gone exactly as planned without a hitch. Now he knew her name and the names of her subordinates. Wondering if they all talked about cases that easily, it was no wonder why she tended to frown.

Though he might not be an officer, he realized, as would anyone, that classified information should be kept confidential, regardless of whom one spoke with… Apparently not for them. Instead of turning to enter the building, November continued to walk down the street towards his car where he had purposely parked on this side of the building.

Now that he knew her name and a little about her work, he had some digging around to do. The fact that she had an informant for her case was quite interesting and was a fact that he was going to use to his advantage. Now, he just had to find some information on this NJ-629 character that Saitou had spoken about.

Though it made sense that he could just call her out with the hint of information, he also realized the seriousness of her business. He didn't want to waste her time; after all, that would only make her despise him more, giving him the opposite effect of what he was trying to do.

**********

"We're back!"

"How did the interview go?" Misaki asked as she glanced up at Saitou and Kouno who were pulling late hours since they had a lead on their case.

"Not so well… Despite what they claimed to have seen, the person they saw didn't match with the picture we have. LB-814 is a tall dark-haired woman, but the one they saw was of average height and pale, silvery hair. I think hair color would be easy enough to change, but height would be a different matter – at least for getting shorter suddenly."

"That's unfortunate. I'm sorry you had to stay late, but that's what happens when we get the information so late in the day."

"Not at all!" Saitou exclaimed. "Oh, by the way, did you speak to the informant? What did he have to say?"

"Informant?"

"Yes, we met him on the way out. Hm… Kind of a tall gentleman with wavy blond hair, he was holding a slip of paper that had our office address on it. He even said that he was looking for you."

"I didn't meet anyone like that," Misaki replied with confusion, slightly put off by the fact that his description matched a certain man she didn't want to see.

"That's odd… I told him exactly what to do."

"That was no informant," Kouno muttered under his breath. "That was November."

Misaki's eyes widened in surprise. She had caught the name on Kouno's lips and he would recognize the man if he saw him. Suppressing the shudder that threatened to overwhelm her body, Misaki slowly asked them what they had told him.

"I told him your name since he said he was looking for the lady in charge. I assumed that was you and then asked him if he was the informant for the NJ-629 case. He replied in the affirmative, so I thought it was him."

"I wasn't going to meet with any informants today," Misaki replied sternly, annoyed that November now knew her name. "I don't care what they say, but be more careful next time. We can't talk about cases to anyone, regardless of what they might claim. We never know who is listening. You mustn't speak about cases to _anyone_, except authorized personnel. I expected better from you Saitou."

"He's not the informant?" he asked with widened eyes.

"No, he's not. I don't know why he pretended to be, but I was not meeting with anyone today. I haven't set up a meeting with the informant yet."

"Oh…" Saitou replied slowly, the implications of his actions finally dawning on him. "I'm sorry, chief!! I won't be so careless next time! I promise!!"

"I believe you. Kouno, I expect the same from you," she answered with a quick nod. "No more slip-ups like this. I want you to be extra careful with your words. There are two of you, so you should be conscious of each other's words and actions. Am I understood?"

"Yes, chief," Kouno said quietly.

"Since that is all, please return home. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Thank you…"

Misaki nodded again, knowing that they felt like they got off the hook rather lightly. Though she sounded upset, she was the most upset with November; that he would pull something like this just to know her name. He was utterly infuriating in the fact that he would not leave her alone! Since the other two left, she gave herself time to stew over the latest information.

He was going out of his way to be a nuisance and she didn't like it one bit. Each time they had met, she had been quite clear in her wishes. Even so, he purposely ignored them and did as he saw fit instead. In a way, she understood Li's explanation… The thing that bothered her the most was that _she_ was his target and she was unwilling to give in to him.

If it was a battle of stubbornness, then Misaki was determined to win. Kanami knew firsthand how stubborn she could be. So now she just had to prove to November that his efforts were all in vain. He would tire of this before she did. At least… She hoped so, because the other outcome terrified her. She was not about to become a vapid, simpering miss, but she was going to go insane if he didn't start leaving her alone!

**********

"Misaki," November said to himself, listening to the way her name rolled off of his tongue.

He liked it. He liked the way it sounded. Smiling to himself, wondering why he hadn't tried that earlier, he settled himself in front of his laptop. He normally only used it for work, but in a way, this was work too. First, he had to find everything he could on this NJ-629 Contractor. Once he had information on that, then he could carry out the next part of his plan.

**********

Sneezing as she was getting ready to leave the office, Misaki felt a cold shiver go down her spine. That was odd. Was someone talking about her? She wasn't superstitious; she was a practical and rational woman, but that didn't explain the sudden chill when the building was well insulated with a good ventilation system.

The cold spell was gone just as quickly as it had come and she quickly pushed it out of her mind. She had other things to worry about… This was the first night since she had spoken to Li that she would be on her own. Though she had promised that she would leave with someone else if that were the case, she didn't. Saitou and Kouno had already stayed later than usual to report on their latest interview.

To know that November had already been outside of the office… He was too persistent! It didn't help matters that she knew with 100% certainty that he had now discovered her name. Saitou was just too careless sometimes! She had told him on occasion before that he needed to watch what he said as they worked with classified information.

She didn't doubt his sincerity and dedication towards his work, but sometimes… She just wished he was a little bit smarter. He was too trusting, taking everything at face value. His honesty was what got him into trouble. It wasn't like she was a chronic liar, but she knew when to speak and when to keep her words guarded.

Sighing softly, Misaki packed away her files and locked them in the file cabinet. She could hardly blame him, as she _did_ say that she would be speaking with the informant soon. How was he supposed to know that November wasn't the one? Especially since he said he was. Saitou wasn't the type to question a person's words.

Now that he knew a little bit more about her, she felt like she was failing the team. After all, Kanami was on her side every step of the way – as was Li. The fact that he had learned her name meant he had one tick under his name. He learned one more thing about her and she was getting nowhere in trying to get rid of him.

Apprehension settled in the pit of her stomach as she expected a meeting with November on today of all days. It didn't help that Li wasn't here to serve as a buffer. Even so, she refused to cower in fear and hide in her own office. With a slight growl leaving her lips, angry at herself for being cowardly, Misaki strengthened her resolve and held her head up high as she left the building.

Watching carefully as the elevator brought her closer to the main floor, she systematically adjusted her bag on her shoulder, hoping that the familiar action would bring a calmness that she wasn't feeling. Stepping out of the elevator, she made her way to the entrance doors, eyes assessing the environment outside.

She looked around when she stepped out, not noticing anyone lingering around. A slight sigh of relief escaped her lips, but she wasn't going to celebrate prematurely. After all, that was what happened the other time – he had been waiting by her car. Even so, she had needlessly worried since he wasn't there either. Relieved that he wasn't anywhere in her vicinity, she tossed her things into her car and made her way back home.

**********

**A/N:** Aww... Poor Saitou! Didn't know that it was November at all... And gave away classified information... Lolz~ I could _totally_ see him doing that!


	16. Chapter 16

Oooh, this is almost turning into weekly updates! :p Not bad... I'll have to see how long I can keep that up. Anyways, back with more! :)

Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 16**

"Um… Excuse me?"

"What is it?" Misaki asked as someone was hovering at the office door.

She was alone in the office since the others were out. Saitou and Kouno were at another crime scene to gather witness statements; Matsumoto was sorting files in their resource room for a case; and Otsuka was over at the Astronomical Observatory. The man cowered as she levelled her gaze on him and she inwardly groaned. She didn't need the distractions.

"What is it?" she asked again, gentler this time, trying to eliminate the frown on her face.

"Ah, yes. Are you Kirihara Misaki-san?"

"Yes, that would be me. Who is asking?"

"I'm Watanabe Yasuo," he replied, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "There was a package for you… I was asked to hand-deliver this to you and only you."

"Do I need to sign anything?"

The man shook his head as Misaki stood up from her desk and made her way towards him. A slight frown settled across her features as she couldn't think of anything that required that type of delicacy. Even so, she graciously thanked him as she took the package from his hands.

"Who was the one who gave it to you?" she finally asked after quickly examining it.

"She didn't leave a name. I think she was a university student… At least, she looked like one. She was average height with brown eyes and medium-length black hair. I've never seen her here before. Was I supposed to ask?" he inquired nervously.

"No, I suppose not. I was just curious. Thank you. If that's all, I'll let you go."

"Okay, thanks."

He bowed politely and quickly scrambled away, closing the door behind him. With no one in the room with her, Misaki grinned and wondered what he had heard about her. She knew about the rumours that went around the building… That she was a devilish creature who could turn a man to stone with just a glance.

Since he left, she made her way back to her desk, curious about the package she received. She wasn't expecting anything and even if she was, it would come with all the other mail they received. Not wasting any time, she quickly used a letter opener to break the seal of the envelope.

When she emptied the contents onto her desk, the frown quickly returned. The package was filled with a stack of photographs – not just any photographs, but ones from the crime scenes that they knew NJ-629 were responsible for. No one should have easy access to information like this. As she sorted through the stack, a hint of white caught her attention.

Shuffling her way to the bottom of the pile, a non-descript piece of paper was lying in front of her. Whoever had sent the package had been extra careful to cover his or her tracks. Instead of a handwritten note like most people used, this one was typed up and printed on everyday printer paper. Even if she wanted to find out who sent this, it wouldn't be easy.

Narrowing her eyes, she scanned the message that was there:

_Come to the Mandarin Oriental – alone. No weapons. Tonight at 7:30 pm. Ask at the front desk and they will direct you where to go afterward._

Understanding the implications of such a message, Misaki wondered if the informant was being extra careful this time. After all, she hadn't heard from him when she was supposed to. Even so, she had to question his choice in meeting locations. Why did they have to meet at a luxury hotel of all places?

There was no choice; she had to go. She knew exactly what they were going to talk about. He made it obvious with the stack of photographs that were now in her possession. Glancing at the clock, she quickly put the pile back into the envelope and slipped the entire package into her purse. The others would be returning soon.

Even as she stared at the computer screen in front of her, she wondered where he had accessed such highly classified information like that. Did they have a security breech somewhere? Due to the delicate nature of their work, they had all the latest and greatest in technological defences. So much for not being distracted, though it was still work-related.

**********

"I want the report on QM-102 on my desk by 10 am tomorrow morning," Misaki said to Kouno as she was going over the deliverables.

"Yes, chief."

"Matsumoto, check what the status is for the evidence analysis on the JE-478 case."

"Yes, chief," he replied.

"Otsuka, I want you to head over to the Observatory first thing in the morning. There should be a package that is ready from Ishizaki-san."

"Yes, chief."

"Finally, Saitou, you need to speak to Shimizu-san. Ask if he has found any correlations based on the discussion I had with him last week."

"Yes, chief… Are you going somewhere?" Saitou inquired quietly, as she was already packed up to go.

"I have something I need to take care of tonight. Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"No."

"Then I'll leave you to your work," she said dismissively.

Everyone glanced at her curiously, before they finally turned back to their tasks. Normally, she would have been amused. Not tonight. Given the task before her and the seriousness of it, she didn't have time to be distracted by the little things. Reanalyzing everything she knew about the case, she still couldn't shake her doubts regarding this meeting.

Even so, it was her duty to get to the bottom of this. Taking her things with her, she headed out of the office and went directly to the elevator without glancing around. For once, the concern that November posed was far from her mind. She still hadn't been able think of any way for her informant to get his hands on those photographs.

It was still early as the meeting wasn't until 7:30 pm. She had left an hour earlier to give herself extra time. The second the clock changed to the designated time, most informants left if they weren't met on time. And they didn't mean your time – they followed their own time; whatever was on their watch was the rule.

In the privacy of her car, she pulled out the package and dumped the contents onto her lap. She had placed the piece of paper on the top. Reading the message again, she couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was wrong with this. She had yet to meet any informant so publicly; not to mention at such a fancy place… She couldn't even afford one meal there.

But everything she needed to know was spelled out by the pictures themselves. Reminding herself that the only way to get answers was to go, she finally put the package back into her purse. She wasn't even sure what to do with it afterward. After all, if she was caught with information like this… It would mean her badge and her career. Her best option would be to burn it.

Turning the key to start up her car, she firmly touched her feet to the pedals. Now was not the time to chicken out and have second thoughts. The safety of citizens depended on her. She knew the dangers involved with the job the moment she was young – watching her father go to work every day. She had followed in his footsteps by choice; no one had forced her.

It was always easier to do her job when she reminded herself of why she was doing it in the first place. Contractors were the target because they were the ones who acted out against the law the most. Because of their power, they thought that they were above the law, but that wasn't true. It was her job to see to it that justice was served.

The drive wasn't long and she arrived at her destination in less than twenty minutes. As she slowly pulled into the parking lot, she saw that there was a valet standing at the front entrance. Cringing as she didn't know the etiquette for a place like this, she wanted to park her own car. She wasn't going to be staying long anyways.

Glancing around, she let out a sigh of relief when she spotted the regular parking area. Driving to that area, she was glad that her car didn't stand out like a sore thumb. Though it wasn't brand new, it was still a nice car. It wasn't a regular old clunker. Now that would have just been embarrassing… Even if she was only meeting an informant.

When she was parked, she slowly gathered up her things – another wave of dread hitting her. She wasn't dressed to go into a place like this. It wasn't like she was in jeans and a t-shirt, but she could already imagine it. Every other lady would be attired in a fashionable dress, with glittery jewels, fancy high heels and a dashing man next to her.

Her? She was in her regular work clothes – turquoise blouse under her plain navy suit and her hair tied back in the regular low ponytail. It might help if she pulled out the pony, but she was uncomfortable with the idea of people seeing her hair down.

Shaking off the doldrums, she quickly grabbed her things and made her way out of the car before she let her nerves get the best of her. The car was locked behind her and the keys thrown to the bottom of her purse. Straightening her back, she gazed forward towards the hotel as she made her way towards it.

She was doing fine until she finally got to the end of the parking lot and she was standing where she could view the entire building – no roof obscuring her view. Sucking in a breath of air, she couldn't help it that her legs were feeling a little like jelly. It was the second time she would be going to a place like this, the first at Alice's party, but this time it wasn't anything special… Not like that time…

Places like these brought back all the terrible memories as she watched a Contractor kill her friend, right in front of her face. She had almost lost her life as well, until Li had come to her rescue – not that she had known it was him at the time.

Quickly glancing at her watch, she let out a sigh of relief. She still had time. The way her mind was working tonight, she was not at the top of her game. The first rule was to be professional and serious. The informants risked their lives, many times, to give them this information. She shouldn't treat this meeting lightly.

Closing her eyes and taking in two deep breaths, Misaki felt herself relax just a little. Once again holding her head up high, she marched her way towards the building like she owned it. She was _not_ going to quake in her boots, just because she wasn't in complete control. The only goal for the evening was to meet her informant and gather all the information from him that she could.

The door opened for her as the doorman saw her approach. Glancing in his direction slowly, Misaki nodded just as slowly in way of thanks before making her way into the building. The place was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before… But she wasn't going to let that show. Stopping just inside to the side of the main entrance, she took some time to enjoy the environment since she might not get another chance to come here any time soon. She didn't stay too long that it would be commented on.

Honestly, a sense of adventure overcame her as she wanted to see every nook and cranny of the hotel. A quick glance at her watch told her that it wasn't an option. She only had five more minutes until she was supposed to meet her informant. Instead of lingering any longer, she made her way to the front desk.

"Good evening miss, how can I help you?" one of the attendants quickly asked her upon her approach.

"Good evening. I was supposed to meet someone here. I was told to ask at the front desk."

"Your name please?"

"Misaki, Kirihara Misaki," she answered slowly.

"Thank you. It will be just a moment."

Murmuring her thanks, Misaki watched as she turned to the computer in front of her and input something onto the screen. She was almost fearful that her name would not show up. That would have been a waste of time… And a bigger mystery because _someone_ had sent her the package; she needed to know – for herself and for the department.

"Ah, here you are," the attendant said. "I have here 7:30 pm. You're right on time. If you'll take the elevator up to the 37th floor and make your way to our Signature dining area. Once you're there, just give your name and they will take you to your company. I'll call up right now to let them know that you're on your way."

"Thank you," Misaki replied with a genuine smile.

"No need. Please enjoy your stay with us at the Mandarin Oriental."

Amused, but not surprised, the lady stepped back from the counter and gave her a formal bow. She should have expected it of a place like this… Making her way to the elevator, she reviewed the instructions in her mind – 37th floor, Signature dining area… That hinted at a meal, but why would she meet an informant for a formal meal at a luxury hotel?


	17. Chapter 17

Wow... This ended up being a longer chapter than most of the other ones! *shrugs* Whatever it takes to get the story across :)

Enjoy~

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**Chapter 17**

"Good evening, I'm Kirihara Misaki," she said when she was greeted by the Signature dining area entrance.

"We were expecting you. If you'll follow me, you're right this way…"

After she nodded in response, the maitre d held his hand out to guide her as she walked past, following the waiter she had been appointed to. The service was impeccable, but she had to wonder how she was going to afford this if she was supposed to pay for it. Couldn't he have found a more suitable place to meet?

Inwardly sighing, it was too late now. She was already here. Surprisingly, she walked past all the regular tables and found that she was being led to the back of the dining area. They finally stopped in front of a set of closed doors. The waiter halted right in front of it and turned around to see if she was right behind him. When she was close enough, he opened the door for her and bowed as she walked by.

"Please enjoy your evening with us," he said before closing the door behind her.

Misaki didn't even hear him as her jaw dropped. She could only stare; her eyes must be deceiving her. The last person on earth she ever expected to see was sitting at the table, patiently waiting for her… Finally, November flashed his signature smile and it broke the spell.

Instead of saying anything, she turned around and scrambled to open the door. It was close enough. When it didn't open immediately, she flashed an angry glance over her shoulders, wondering if he had instructed them to lock the door after she entered. His smile only broadened in response, as if he could read her thoughts.

"Not at all, my lady," he replied as he stood up and made his way towards her.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing at all. You're struggling with something so simple because you're panicking. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What are you going to do?" she asked accusingly.

"Do? Nothing at all, my lovely Misaki. Though, I really wish you were more appropriately dressed for the occasion."

"That's Kirihara-san to you!" she snapped. "What did you do with my informant?"

"Now now, be nice… I didn't do anything to your informant. You're looking right at him."

Narrowing her eyes at him, Misaki didn't believe one word that he said. The door opened a crack as she finally managed to get it open. When she opened it all the way, she was surprised that November didn't do anything to stop her. After all, he had tried to force his way with her in the past. She only got one foot of the room before he spoke again.

"All my hard work to find out some information you might want to know," he said with a small sigh. "Oh well. At least, I hope the pictures are useful for you."

Turning quickly as she remembered the information that had been passed along through the package, Misaki assessed his intentions. Even so, she wasn't as good as Li was at this. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he was thinking. After all, it wasn't like it was something that just anyone could do – getting a hold of those crime scene photographs.

"What do you know?" Misaki asked, slowly stepping back into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Nuh-uh. It's not that easy."

"Then what do you want?" she asked, not liking the way he wagged his finger at her.

"I propose a deal. In exchange for the information that I know, you need to have dinner with me – a full course meal. I won't accept anything less. Only after we have finished dinner, with dessert, then I will tell you what I have been able to discover," November stated. "If you disagree, then I suppose I'll keep the information to myself, though you can keep the photographs."

He smiled pleasantly and Misaki despised the way he had set up everything. He already knew what type of person she actually was, if he knew to find her during the evening. How could she possibly say no when he knew something? She didn't know what he knew, but there was only one way to find out and she always followed a lead until it either reached the answer or a dead end.

"Fine…" she replied reluctantly.

"Wonderful! Then, if you'll take my arm, I shall escort you to the table."

November held his arm out to her, but Misaki only looked at him dubiously. He only said that they would have dinner together, not anything about pretending that she liked him. Finally, she glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow in response. Her expression told him everything he needed to know, so he finally dropped his arm.

"What are we eating anyways? I hope you're paying for this… Calling me out to a place like this under the pretences of being an informant…" she said disapprovingly.

"It's not 'under the pretences' as I really do have information you would like to know. At least, if you want to do your job that is."

November inwardly cringed as he should have realized how serious she was. His comment only earned him a glowering gaze. If looks could kill, he would be burning in hell just about now… She glared a moment longer before she finally stormed off towards the table he had previously been occupying. So much for being a charmer on their date…

Refusing to let the mistake agitate him, he was a master of charm. This shouldn't bother him in the slightest – it was what he wanted in the first place. She was giving him a challenge that he had never encountered before. Still smiling, he made his way to the table and took the seat across from her. She didn't sit with her arms across her chest, pouting, as he expected of some females, but she did sit stiffly with her back straight and her head held high.

Though they were sitting in close proximity at a two-person table, she didn't look at him. Instead, she stared at a section to the left of his head. Not even once did she gaze in his direction. This was difficult, but he was going to make the most of his first opportunity to be alone with her.

"I'm sorry," he said sweetly. "I shouldn't have said that. I know how difficult your work could be and I carelessly said something that angered you. Misaki, please believe me."

This caught her attention. Instead of resorting to tears like most females did, she only glanced at him, her eyes steady as she stared him down. He could read the displeasure and disbelief in her eyes. But it was something he had expected.

"When is the food coming? And what are we eating anyways?" she finally asked calmly.

"It should be coming any minute now. The food is French cuisine. Have you ever tried it before?"

"No."

"Well, I think you'll like it. Eat all that you want," November said graciously.

A sparkle entered her eyes at his words and he wondered what it meant. He didn't think that she had suddenly come to like him, just because he offered her dinner at a luxury hotel. She was up to something, but honestly, he didn't know what it was. He didn't know her _that_ well yet, though he planned to eventually.

Misaki didn't speak as she waited for the food to arrive as an idea entered her mind. He had given her a way out. If she could eat all that she wanted, she planned to take him up on the offer. Firstly, she would get to try out food that she wouldn't normally eat. Food was one of the pleasures in her life. Secondly, the amount she typically ate should be enough to scare him away. The only person she knew that she couldn't out-eat was Li.

The conversation ended there when the door finally opened and they pushed in a small silver cart where the plates were covered in silver lids. The waiter smiled at them as he carefully served Misaki first. Misaki grinned back, pleased that she had thought of that plan. Nodding her thanks, she turned back to the appetizer that was placed at her seat.

"What are we having today?" she asked politely.

"Starting your meal tonight, you will have sea urchin blanc-manger with cauliflower composition and saffron scented pesto. Following that will be delicately sautéed langoustine tails with smoky salsify, juniper berry flavoured crustacean reduction. Then, foie gras and persimmon two ways: poached with ginger scented chutney, simply sautéed with cacao reduction. Next, hazelnut broiled turbot with wild mushroom fricassee and autumn truffle. The main course will be roasted beef fillet from Akagi, leek and kidney tart with pickles, and mustard seed mousseline sauce. Finally, dessert will be warm madeleine with vanilla flavour pear and chestnut minestrone."

"Um… Could I possibly talk to you outside?" she inquired when he was finished, flashing a quick nervous glance in November's direction.

He didn't respond, not even a slight nervous tick to indicate a change in emotion. Even so, she didn't want to say it straight out in front of him. It would be a pleasant surprise… Misaki refused to feel guilty when he had brought the situation upon himself. And he _did_ say that she could eat all that she wanted.

"Yes, miss. Of course you may," the waiter responded. "Right this way."

He pulled out the chair for her and Misaki struggled to hold back another grin. It was so different, getting this type of treatment. Not that she had anything against it, but it was completely different from the typical fast food joints she frequented. Then again, she was the one who loved greasy burgers and fries.

They didn't talk as they made their way outside the room and Misaki closed the door behind her. He waited patiently to hear what her concerns may be. After all, she had been the one to single him out as their food was being served.

"Well, you see," she said, sounding a touch nervous. "I don't think it will be enough food… He doesn't know this, but I actually eat a lot. He did say that I could eat whatever I wanted though and I'm sure there's lots of delicious food that you serve here. Could you perhaps expand the order and include all the recommendations you could make? I would suggest enough food for four people…"

"Are you sure? We don't want to waste any food," he responded a touch nervous as well.

"I promise I'll eat everything you give me. If not, I'll take it home with me and finish it. I won't waste even a single drop of sauce!"

"You don't have to be _that_ serious about it," he replied with a chuckle. "Very well, I shall do as you ask. We want you to enjoy your experience here with us. Do I just charge it all on one order?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you very much."

He smiled and went to open the door for her. Letting her enter, he bowed once more before leaving to do as she asked. Once again alone with November, the serious expression returned to Misaki's features. Let him think he was being gracious… Then he'll see when he saw all the food that came _and_ it came time to pay for the bill. That would teach him to be so overbearing in his manipulative ways.

"So what was that about?" November asked with a slight drawl as she retook her seat.

He had noticed the way her expression had changed as she spoke to the waiter in front of him. She was definitely up to something – she had been acting too nervous, even grinning at the man. She still hadn't done that as a response to him; he hardly believed that their waiter for the evening could illicit that type of response otherwise.

"It was nothing you need to worry about," she replied slowly. "Instead, why don't you tell me where you found those pictures from the crime scenes? I'm sure you realize what they were; otherwise, you wouldn't have used them to lure me to this meeting."

"Well, I could… But then I would have to kill you," he answered with a chuckle. "You know that informants never give up their sources. I'm not about to be the first one to do so. Other than that, you are permitted to ask any questions you would like. If it is something I can answer, then I will."

She didn't think it would be that easy, but she had to try. Even so, he was being overly congenial with someone who disliked him, and he knew that fact. At this point, she couldn't decide how to respond. If she asked questions, she might seem interested and she wasn't. But to glare at him all evening… She would strain her own eyes.

Sitting back, resting against the chair, Misaki relaxed her features – not because of him, but because she didn't want to think too much about what she was doing. In a way, this was like sleeping with the enemy. Instead, she reminded herself that this was solely for the NJ-629 investigation. If there was the possibility that she could scare him off in the process that was only a secondary benefit.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait any longer as their waiter returned to take away their empty plates and serve the next dishes. A slight frown marred November's features momentarily as he did not remember ordering some of the dishes that were added to their table. The waiter grinned as he glanced at Misaki, and she looked away, slightly embarrassed. The frown returned and the man finally turned to him, an apologetic expression on his face.

"If that is all for now, I shall return later with the next round," he said gently, hoping he didn't get ratted on that he was behaving unprofessionally.

"That is all," November stated dismissively.

Bowing in response, the man backed away one step before he straightened up again. He took the cart with him and the door to the room closed as quietly as he had opened it. Now that he was gone, November wondered if the man had seen something in Misaki that most men seemed to miss out on. But then again, she had been the one who had smiled at him. He had already determined that she was pretty when she smiled, even with her glasses.

Glancing back at his companion, she wasn't even paying attention to him. In fact, she seemed to forget that he was there completely. Not good. He wasn't getting anywhere. Though he had offered to answer any of her questions regarding him, she didn't ask any. That was expected, when she didn't even want to be in his presence. He already knew that she wouldn't answer any of his questions.

He had wanted to say something, but he got distracted by watching her. Her lips had parted slightly and he wondered if she knew how sensual she looked right now. Unfortunately, the passion that was subtly emanating from her was only directed at the food in front of her. A little disconcerted that the food was more interesting than him, November tried to start up a conversation with her.

"You know, you can eat it… You don't only have to stare at it."

Misaki glanced up in surprise as she had been transported to another world with the sights and smells of the food in front of her. Everything looked absolutely delicious; as expected from a high-class hotel restaurant. So much so that she had even forgotten that she was in the room with her enemy. Her energy seemed to slip a notch after he spoke to her and her expression returned to normal.

"I know that," she replied defensively. "I was just enjoying the aromas first. I'm not going to let this food go to waste. Besides, you're not eating either."

"I was enjoying myself, watching your beautiful features," he replied lightly. "I was amazed by your reaction to the food. I assure you, it tastes just as good as it smells."

She didn't try to speak to him as she realized that the more she tried to speak to a man like him, the more upset she became. Though she had to spend her evening with November, she didn't want to ruin the experience by dwelling on that fact. To make the most of it, she planned on trying everything that they offered. After all, that was what she had asked for – at November's expense.

Turning to the food once again, Misaki slowly put some on her plate before leaving the serving utensils on the dishes. If it had been Li with her, she would have helped him, but it wasn't. A little depressed that Li wasn't with her, she knew that he would enjoy the food if he were. That was one thing that they liked to do together – find quaint food shops to try since they both loved to eat.

"So what is it that you do anyways? I mean, besides be a stalker," Misaki stated, hoping that by asking him something, it would get him off her case.

She would survive through the meal somehow, and if getting him to talk about himself was enough then she would have to try it. After all, she could easily tune out background noise – one of her good traits when it came to work. And at this point, this whole experience was a mixture of pleasure and work. Then again, she didn't know any experience of informant dealing where she got fed, let alone with fancy rich-people food.

"Ah, so you finally thought of something to ask," November said with a hint of pleasure in his voice, not taking offense at the stalker stab. "It's not really anything spectacular I can assure you… I just have my own business, though I wouldn't really call it a business. I'm a stocks investor. I don't have to worry about work hours or location since I can work from home, wherever I am. All that's required is my laptop and the internet. And of course a few hours to analyze the trends and to decide which stocks to buy, sell or keep."

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**A/N:** Smart girl, Dear4Life ;) Given that it _is_ a November/Misaki story, they were due for a get-together... hehe~

BTW, I am _not_ that good at coming up with food menus :p It's the menu that I snagged off of the actual hotel's website (Mandarin Oriental). All credit for food listed goes to them!!


	18. Chapter 18

This is one of my favorite chapters so far :) Hope you like it!

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**Chapter 18**

Alone at home, November was lounging outside on the balcony of his bachelor suite apartment. His hands were propped behind his head as he stared up at the starry sky of Tokyo. He wasn't actually thinking about the fake stars, but rather, the evening he had just spent with Misaki. She had called him out a couple times after that first time about using her first name, with no attached honorifics. Even so, he refused to change his ways – her name suited her and he liked the way it sounded on his lips.

Partway through, he had been stunned as the food kept coming. He knew what he had ordered for the evening, and it did not include around twenty or more dishes. He watched her carefully, but she didn't say anything in response as she continued to eat from every plate that arrived. In fact, he had stopped eating soon before she did.

Instead, he had enjoyed his coffee while chatting with her – even if it were somewhat one-sided. He had started off by going into a spiel, telling her what it was that he actually did; only to find out that she wasn't even listening. At first, he had been slightly annoyed that things weren't going the way he had planned for it to happen.

Then, he realized that things were better this way. After all, she was enjoying the meal – immensely from the expression on her face and sighs of pleasure that escaped her lips intermittently. If he thought she was beautiful before, he didn't know how to explain the blissfulness on her face as she partook of the evening meal.

It made him glad that he had thought of this plan, even though it hadn't started out as he planned or even followed anywhere close to what he had imagined. Though he wasn't the one actually eating it, he had been caught up in her enjoyment. It was a refreshing change from dealing with women who were constantly on diets, worried about gain a pound or two. It was amazing how she kept her figure at all… She had practically consumed everything.

_That was probably the idea_, he thought to himself, amused.

He supposed it was true that most men didn't like women who ate too much, worried about how their figure would turn out. At least, he supposed it was a subconscious thing. Even so, that thought hadn't even entered his mind. It was now that he also realized that was what she had spoken to the waiter about. The food wouldn't show up unannounced if neither of them asked for it.

They had ended their evening as promised after he shared what he could discover regarding NJ-629. The bill had come upon request as he didn't want to be distracted during their conversation. It was then that a sense of dismay entered his mind – an amount owed that was well into the six-figure digits, not including the gratuities.

That was when he noticed that she was watching him carefully and he figured that was all part of her two-step process. First, she would disgust him with the sheer amount that she could consume; and she could consume a lot. Then, she would annoy him further with the amount that was owed since he did say that she could eat all she wanted.

Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for him, her plan had backfired on her. It might have worked… If she had been any other woman. She had made one grave mistake. That alone was the fact that she had spent the evening enjoying every little morsel that she tasted. Recalling her reaction, he decided that it was worth it, despite the dent it put into his wallet.

Shifting uncomfortably, that memory brought out distracting sensations in his body as he remembered the low, sexy sounds that escaped her lips while she ate in utter satisfaction. He didn't think she even realized that she was doing that. Consequently, he was sure there would have been plenty of aroused men finding ways to relieve themselves after being in her presence for too long. Thankfully, they had a private room.

So far, he didn't stand a chance with her in that regards, but there was always a way to relieve his bodily desires. Yet, he wasn't feeling the need despite the way his body was subconsciously reacting to her. It didn't feel right. This was the first time he had ever reacted to a woman this way, and to ruin the memory by sleeping with another woman…

Shaking away his thoughts, he didn't want to dwell on the idea too much. He wasn't losing his touch. He was just basking in the progress he had made, despite the uncomfortable side effects. That was just part of the charm and challenge. She didn't seem to realize how beautiful she was, though he still didn't understand what she was doing with her boyfriend at the club. How she usually was and how she had been the first night they actually met were as different as night and day.

Now that the first plan was over, he was basking in the memory, especially because it went well. Typically, he would call it a date, but with her, he hesitated to do. After all, most of his dates weren't spent being ignored where he was the one chattering one-sidedly. She had only asked a handful of questions during the entire evening.

Though the plan had been one that cost him more than a pretty penny, he didn't regret it. She wasn't the type to order food and waste it. If she had done that, then yes, he would have been disgusted. Instead, she had treated each dish as a luxury item – which it was – and enjoyed the tastes and smells.

The image of her face relaxed in ecstasy over the food was one that wouldn't leave him alone; with her eyes closed and her lips parted ever so slightly while she let the food rest on her tongue. He even recalled during dessert, where there had been a crumb of madeleine lingering near the corner of her mouth. In small, quick attempts, her tongue would dart out in attempts to capture it.

Groaning ever so slightly, November sat up from his lounge chair and turned to the side table to grab his pack of cigarettes. It wouldn't satisfy his desire, but it should take the edge off of it slightly. He wasn't willing to accept just any willing woman at this point; he also wasn't like other men who would use self-service as a means of finding gratification. When he finally won her over, it would make the victory that much sweeter.

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"I can't believe it; it was so good!" Misaki exclaimed.

She grinned to herself as she was on the phone with Li, half lamenting the fact that he wasn't with her during dinner and half extolling the delicious wonders she had tasted that evening. It was the first thing she had done the moment she had returned home. He wouldn't believe it. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to offer taking him there – it wasn't even somewhere she would normally go on her own.

"_I still can't believe you had supper with November,"_ he replied with a chuckle.

"I had to! He is such a jerk… He had information on my case; I have no idea how he got it. I don't even know if I should believe him. Of course, he wouldn't tell me unless I had dinner with him."

"_Well, seems like he has you figured out for the most part; at least, when it comes to work. And he didn't come empty-handed since he did offer you information."_

"I know which I was surprised about. He even said that himself, since he said I would despise him if I came only to find that it was all a hoax. That is true," Misaki stated. "Still! I don't know if I should be annoyed about his manipulative ways or excited about the delicious food I consumed. Not to mention, I ate a _ton_! All at his expense! Do you think it'll work?"

"_Were you trying to scare him off?"_

"Well yah… I must have had a good fifteen plates, if not more! I mean, most people would be shocked and for a potential… Whatever, that's kind of a turn-off… Isn't it?"

"_I guess… But it's not like he wants to date you,"_ Li pointed out. _"He's just doing this to get into your pants."_

"Li!" she exclaimed, surprised he would be so blunt about it.

"_Well it's true. Why else would he go to such lengths? I'm sure most, like 99.5% of the female population, would willingly accept if he suggested that. You're one of the rare few he knows who wouldn't, and the only one he knows right now."_

"I know… I already knew that from the start, but you don't have to be so vocal about something we all understand! It sounds so disgusting! Besides, even if that is the case, he had to pay a lot for it."

"_True again, but you said he works for himself,"_ Li reminded her. _"And if he could call you out to a place like that, he must be rich in the first place."_

"Yah, that's true too," Misaki answered reluctantly. "He didn't even blink twice when I was watching him pay the bill. Do you think he caught on to what I was trying to do?"

"_Most likely. But at least you got to eat some delicious food in the process… Even if it didn't work out how you hoped for."_

Misaki giggled as she could hear the whine in his voice; that he was left out on such a wonderful experience. Trying new foods and trying new restaurants was something they usually did together. The way people would stare at them… It was amusing. Now, they not only went out together because they wanted to spend time together, but also to laugh at the comical expressions on everyone's faces.

"Do you think I should go check it out?" Misaki finally asked, switching gears in their conversation.

"_I don't even need to answer that…"_

"You know me too well," she replied with a smile. "Even if I still have doubts about it all."

"_But any information you get, you check it out, regardless of who it might have come from. What if he is right and you weren't there? You would feel horrible,"_ stated Li.

"I know… I just can't figure out where he got the pictures from! They're the exact same as the ones I had seen in our files. And where did he get that information from?"

"_He could be the suspect himself?"_ Li suggested with a grin.

"November? A Contractor?!"

"_That's right…"_

"No way, it's not even _possible_," Misaki exclaimed as she started laughing. "I mean, what would his power be? To turn women into simpering, brainless twits?"

"_And he pays off his remuneration by smoking."_

"No… I don't think that's possible. I'm living proof that his power doesn't work if he was a Contractor," Misaki replied with difficulty, as she was clutching her sides from laughing too hard. "And if you ask me that would have to be the _stupidest_ Contractor power I have ever heard of!"

"_Just a suggestion…"_

"One that has no merit to it," she replied lightly as her laughter finally subsided. "Is there any way to determine a Contractor's power? I mean, no one has even seen NJ-629, except the woman he harassed. She was so nervous and scared that she can't remember anything."

"_Not unless he uses it… Considering how little Kanami has been able to discover, I almost think he's a newbie Contractor. I mean, most of them use their powers to kill – finding the best agency to work for. The ones who don't are the ones who have their own agenda to handle first; things like getting revenge on people who have wronged them. This one, he seems to be playing around – almost like he isn't sure of exactly what his power might be. That's why no one has been killed yet."_

"You know, you could be right. Contractors are supposed to be logical and rational, yet none of the crimes point at anything. There's no coherency as to the places that were vandalized. With all that power at his disposal, why only vandalize and not use it to gain wealth or status?"

"_I don't know. There is one thing I will say he is logical about. There have been no traces of him and he has been leaving the scene before anyone arrives. Out of the number of cases where we know he was involved, there has only been one witness,"_ Li answered. _"It might only be a matter of time before he escalates to something more dramatic."_

"I know. I'll catch him before that happens. The only other reason that I can think of is that he's young. We know children can become Contractors… Despite the logical thinking, maybe his natural ability for logic and rationalization just isn't that great yet. But that would make him pretty young, like 5 or 6 years old…"

"_Another possibility. Your best bet is to capture him and all your questions will be answered."_

"Of course… I better let you go. Thanks Li," Misaki said.

"_For what?"_

"Everything. You're always there when I need someone to talk to, especially on cases… And I'm the one to lecture Saitou on confidential information," she replied with a small smile. "And this whole November thing too. You didn't have to."

"_My lips are sealed and you speak to me with a good reason. I think I have a good insight into the mind of a Contractor; though not something I'm bragging about. Besides, it's my job to protect you and encourage you; anything for you. You got my back. It's the least I can do for you."_

"Thank you. Tell Yin I say hi and that I'll come over this weekend; that is if nothing pressing comes up. I haven't had the opportunity to see her in a while."

"_Will do. Good night and sweet dreams. Rest well Misaki,"_ Li replied softly.

"You too. Good night Li."

**********

**A/N:** For the price of the supper, a reminder that the 6-figure digit is in yen. That would still be the equivalent of $1000+ since roughly 100 yen = $1.

hehe~ Li says some pretty sweet things! Even if he's only the friend for this story :)


	19. Chapter 19

This really is starting to turn into a story of epic proportions, way past my expectations... Anyways, I promise that the pace starts to pick up with this chapter! Just think of the last 18 chapters (oh man...) as an introduction... hahaha~

*sigh* As long as no one else minds. It doesn't really help that I write short chapters. Oh well.

Enjoy :)

**********

**Chapter 19**

Standing alone in a darkened alley inside Akihabara, Misaki wondered if it was such a good idea to come here after all. Right in front of her was a small arcade, probably run by a family. So why would her target attack a place like this and why did November know such information? It hardly seemed like a place that would be of notice to anyone.

She stepped out slightly into the street where she could check the time on her watch. It was just after ten in the evening. No one knew where she was as the others had all gone home earlier than her. The only person who knew where she would be at this time was Li as she had shared the information that November had provided her.

It really bothered her that November could be right. She wanted to forget his information like it didn't matter, but that small possibility that he could be right kept her rooted in place. No matter who the information came from, she had to follow each and every lead until the bitter end. That was the way she worked.

Sighing softly, she stepped back into the shadows as she didn't want to alert her target that someone was onto him – if he showed up. Instead of standing here, alone in the dark, she wished she were back at home. A cold beer after a hot shower was exactly what she needed. Unfortunately, she was stuck here.

Her thoughts were unwillingly drawn to November. She still couldn't figure him out. Though she was better off in bed asleep, her previous evening had been spent trying to analyze him. After all, she was only here because of him. Days prior to this, she had been able to ignore it because she didn't have to face that pending decision.

Last evening, she had stayed up late, her decision warring between going to determine if he was right and not going at all just because November had been the one to provide the information. After many wasted hours, she finally fell asleep around three in the morning, only to have to wake up at six and start a new day.

Closing her eyes momentarily, she forcefully pushed him from her thoughts. This was not the time to be thinking about him; there was never a time she should be thinking about him. Stifling a yawn, she took in a deep breath to calm herself. Reminders of her duty came to mind, along with Li's know-it-all voice when she asked his opinion on the matter.

Nodding ever so slightly, it was always much better to think about Li. There was a man she knew she could count on. He was there for her every step of the way, regardless of what step she might make and the direction she was heading in. Smiling, she remembered Kanami's complaints about the fact that they were only friends.

There was too much to factor in if they were to have a relationship in the sense that Kanami meant. She had always been terrified that someone would find out about him, especially when he was still active. Now, he held an honest job, taking care of himself and raising Yin; the doll who was more like a girl.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of broken glass and her eyes flashed open. Quickly glancing towards the shop that she was supposed to be watching, she saw a dark figure emerging from the broken window. Not taking the time to think things through, she dashed out of the alleyway to pursue him.

"Stop right there!" she yelled, pulling out her gun. "You're under arrest!"

He turned to glance her way, but did not stop as she had demanded. Instead, he ran even faster, trying to shake her off. Holding down her gun, Misaki rushed after him. She didn't have time to worry about the state of the shop; she had to catch him. This was the closest they had ever been to capturing NJ-629.

"Stop!" she yelled again.

He weaved in between buildings and Misaki had a difficult time keeping up. Based on his actions, it seemed that he was familiar with the area. It was possible that he lived close to the area; that or he had scoped out the place before launching an attack. The only way to find out was to capture him first. The other thought that lingered in her mind was that he didn't use his power to attack her.

Most Contractors, if not all, had no qualms about using their powers to harm humans, and definitely not when it came to public servants who were trying to capture them. Not him. There was no hint of a blue outline, a telltale sign that a Contractor was about to use his or her power. Instead, he kept running and weaving.

**********

Calmly looking down at the scene in front of him, Li watched as Misaki dashed out from the alley to give chase to NJ-629. Blending into the background in his black clothing, he followed along from the rooftops. He didn't think Misaki would realize that he would follow her as she had given him the information without any prodding on his behalf.

Knowing that she had received the information from November, he also knew that she would be too stubborn to tell the others. Not because she didn't trust Saitou or Kouno, but because she didn't trust November. If nothing came out of it, she would feel embarrassed and she was not the type of person to place herself in a potentially embarrassing situation.

He moved faster than she did, easily keeping up with her target. Not once did he attempt to hurt Misaki and Li knew that he would stay in the shadows the entire time. He was only here to protect her and she was in no immediate danger. The only thing taxing for her was to close the gap between her and NJ-629. He wouldn't actually hurt her, despite being a Contractor. There was no killing intent in his actions, rather a desperate attempt to escape.

**********

"Hey! Let me go! Let me go I said!"

Startled by the sound of a voice, Misaki stopped to take a quick breath before she continued on her way towards the noise. This must have been the most she had ever had to run to chase down a Contractor. In most situations, she was forced to use her gun as they attempted to retaliate and use their powers on her.

"Let me go!"

She turned the corner, surprised to see her perpetrator captured as he struggled against another person. Even here, he didn't try to use his power and Misaki was surprised. More surprising was the sense of disbelief that entered her mind as the man who had captured her target was none other than November…

"Let me go!"

"Stop wiggling, you brat," he said. "If you don't stop, she's going to shoot you."

NJ-629 twisted around in surprise. His hood fell back due to the sudden movement and Misaki inwardly sighed. Her initial thoughts had been correct. Though he was especially tall for his age, she estimated that he was probably 9 years old. That explained everything, except why he vandalized the places that he did. When their eyes connected, the boy instantly fell silent as the light glinted off her gun.

Finally, she turned her gaze towards November and he only grinned in response. She had this overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. He thought he was so clever… Not only would he supply her information on confidential material, but he would also help her in capturing her target. Ignoring him, she finally turned back to the boy.

"What's your name?" she asked gently, putting away her gun.

She wasn't sure what she was going to do with him. The punishment for Contractors was typically harsh because of their powers. They were either killed, if they were especially dangerous, imprisoned for life, or recruited to work for the government. She wished she didn't know these things, but she did.

For a child to become a Contractor, it would be the perfect situation for the government. He would be malleable in his learning. Yet, it wasn't something Misaki wanted to put him through. At the same time, she had to do _something_ with him… She couldn't let him roam free.

"Um… It's Ikeda Jun," he muttered.

"Well, Ikeda-kun, do you know that what you just did is wrong?"

"Yes ma'am."

"That's good… I don't know what I should do with you," she said with a sigh.

"Am I going to get locked away?"

"I'm sure they would like to do that, or maybe even worse…"

"They're going to kill me?" he asked in surprise, a tinge of fear in his voice.

"I don't know, but not if I can help it."

"Perhaps we could go somewhere more conducive for a discussion?" November suggested.

Misaki hated to admit that he was right, but it was true. They were discussing this in the middle of the street, right after she had been yelling for him to stop. They were just lucky that it wasn't a residential area, but rather a business area.

"Lead the way…" she replied reluctantly.

Grinning in response, November didn't release his grip on the boy, even if he was showing remorse for his actions. He wouldn't put it past the brat to play up his innocence by acting cute in front of Misaki. No, she might fall for it, but not him.

"If you'll lead us to your car, I'll tell you where to go."

She sighed in response, but did as he asked. She didn't understand why they couldn't take his car as she was positive he would have driven here if he had been laying in wait. Even so, she wasn't in the mood to argue as she still had to come to a decision on what to do with Ikeda-kun. This was the most difficult decision she ever had to make when it came to her job. Most of them were clearly corrupted by their power as they killed and harmed other people, without remorse.

**********

Li followed along as the group made their way back to where Misaki had started from. Though he hadn't been surprised that NJ-629 turned out to be a child Contractor, even he was surprised that November had been there to help her capture him. It seemed to be an action that was out of place with his character.

Watching from above, he saw Misaki open the doors of her two-door sports car for them. The child was pushed to the back and it was a tight squeeze, but he didn't complain. Graciously, November pulled his seat forward so the boy had more leg room. Even then, for the two of them to sit on the same side of the car was pushing the comfort level inside her vehicle.

This was the second time that November had acted outside of the boundaries Li had drawn based on his personality and he had to wonder if it was the effect Misaki had on him. If he didn't know any better, he would guess that he was almost serious about this… But even now, that was a bit of a jump to assume such a thing. It was better to reserve judgment until he had more time to analyze their interactions.

As they drove away, Li made no move to follow them. He wasn't wrong in his assessment of NJ-629's intentions – or lack thereof. Instead, he grinned at the thought that November was actually, quite possibly, falling for Misaki, despite all of his intentions. Now that would be interesting, if it were true…

Still smiling to himself, he made his way down from the rooftop and dropped into the alleyway that Misaki had originally been occupying. Only time would tell if he were right. It was a possibility when he had already changed his lifestyle dramatically, just to pursue her. Besides, Misaki had a genuine charm about her that she didn't realize. Most men were put off by her hard exterior, but he was one who knew better than that.

That was one reason why he cherished their friendship. He didn't have to share her with a million people and November was definitely one person he didn't want to share her with. Not only did she know his secret, she was the only one to care about him for who he truly was, besides Yin. A slight frown formed on his face at the idea of Misaki dating November and he quickly banished the dreadful thought from his mind. No, Misaki deserved someone better than November and someone better than him – if such a man even existed…


	20. Chapter 20

A special treat... A double update! (For those who read both my stories anyways.)

A big warm thank you to everyone who takes the time to comment and/or review after reading my updates. I really appreciate it :) And of course, I love to hear your comments/opinions on how the story is progressing. hehe~ So this is my way of saying thanks.

Anywho! Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 20**

"Turn left at the lights ahead. It's the fifth house on the right."

"Where are we?" Misaki asked as she followed November's instructions.

"It's home."

"Your house?"

"Well, one of them," November muttered as he didn't think she would care.

"Doesn't seem like your style at all…"

"What did you imagine then?"

"Nothing really," Misaki replied dismissively. "I just thought we'd stop in a parking lot or something, away from the crime scene."

"I meant about my place…"

"I don't know; why would I think about such a thing? Just because you helped me this once, it does not mean that I like you. But if I _had_ to say something, I suppose a bachelor suite on the highest floor of an apartment complex. Maybe a gold toilet or something equally stupid, but fancy at the same time?"

"How long is this going to take?" Ikeda asked quietly, disrupting their conversation.

"As long as necessary to get to the bottom of this. I don't suppose anyone else knows that you're a Contractor?"

"No… I'm supposed to be home in bed."

"Of course you are," Misaki replied gently. "Even so, you will have to face punishment for what you did – not only here, but all the other places. But first, I want to know why you did what you did, and we'll discuss that at this man's house."

"Oh fine…"

Ikeda fell silent as it was obvious that there was no way out of this. Misaki felt terrible that she had to do this, but it was part of her job. She just didn't know how to get him out of it… There was no way to reverse a transformation and the only way she knew how to get rid of a Contractor's power was to kill them – making their star fall.

This was the youngest case for a Contractor that she had ever heard of. That alone would be worth the research for their agency… Something must have triggered his transformation and she was going to start with that information first.

Together, the three of them exited her car where November was quiet as he held a tight grip on the boy's wrist. In a way, he was glad the boy had interrupted their conversation. For the life of him, he didn't know what to say after Misaki's comment. Though she hadn't said it in a hurtful tone, it had surprised him that he was hurt by her words. He thought maybe she would warm up to him after he not only provided information for her case, but helped her capture her perpetrator.

"You can use the kitchen or the family room, whichever you feel more comfortable in," he said after he opened the door for them.

Misaki entered the house after nodding and quickly took off her shoes before finding the family room. No one spoke as Ikeda followed her and November made his way to the kitchen after they had seated themselves. She still had her gun with her, and she had fast reflexes, otherwise, he wouldn't have left them alone.

"You can tell me, Ikeda-kun," Misaki stated as she glanced at the boy. "How did this happen? I'm sure you weren't always a Contractor. Something must have caused this to happen."

He only stared at her, uncooperative for the first time after his capture. Even so, Misaki wouldn't force him to speak. Threats would only scare him more, as surprising as that sounded when speaking about a Contactor. She waited patiently and he finally glanced away from her.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," she added. "My name is Misaki, Kirihara Misaki. And the man who captured you is November. But please don't think we work together because we don't. He shouldn't have been there tonight. I work with Foreign Affairs Section 4 and we specialize in capturing Contractors. Not all Contractors are bad people and I don't think you are one. Something must have happened for you to act out like this."

November entered the room to hear her comments as he placed a cup of tea on the table in front of her, a cup of juice for the boy. It wasn't his place to interfere. In fact, it wasn't his place to be here in the first place. Quietly making himself scarce, he went back to the kitchen where he would be out of the way. Something was wrong with him anyways…

"I have all the time in the world," Misaki pointed out gently. "I would like to know your story so that I can help you. If you don't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to turn you over and you'll have to take your chances with my supervisors. I will say that they aren't too nice, and especially not nice to Contractors…"

He seemed to struggle with his options and Misaki again realized that he didn't use the power to hurt people because he was still a child. The vandalism had been his form of revenge, but it wasn't enough to know that. She wanted to know why. Why had he become a Contractor in the first place? Why was he attacking those places?

"I… It's the other boys," he finally said softly. "They always pick on me in school… They make fun of me and do mean things to me, because I'm poor. They laugh at me because I don't have any of the toys that they do… I don't know why I have these powers, but I do. I wanted to show them that I can get the things that they have too…"

"By doing so, you not only hurt yourself, but you also hurt other people. You don't like being poor because people pick on you. Did you ever think about the people who own the stores that you damaged? They make their living off what they earn from the store and now they can't because of what you did."

"I'm sorry…"

"It's good to know, but now you have to face the punishment for your actions," stated Misaki. "I just don't know what your options are. I don't want you to go to jail, but I can't let you off the hook either. I think we're going to have to speak to your parents."

"I have to tell them?" he asked, fear in his eyes. "W – What if they…"

Misaki sighed, not sure how to answer that as she understood his fears. The general populace did not have good thoughts about Contractors because of the things they did. In fact, most humans hated Contractors for the unexplainable powers they held. It was going to be difficult to break the news to his parents.

"Excuse me," she said as her phone rang.

Standing up and walking to the front window, Misaki answered the phone to find that it was Kanami on the other end. She should have known as NJ-629 or Ikeda-kun had been active. She had told her friend to put his case on urgent if anything happened.

"Hello?"

"_Do you know how long I have been trying to reach you?"_ Kanami exclaimed. _"Answer your phone! You're the one who told me to call you any time of day!"_

"I know. It's NJ-629."

"_What? How did you know?"_

"Because I'm with him right now," Misaki admitted. "I had information on him and I managed to capture him."

"_Then what are you waiting for? Take him in!"_

"Kanami… He's a boy," she whispered with difficulty. "You know what they do to them…"

"_Then what?"_

"I don't know yet. I wish there was some way to reverse this… He's not like the others since he didn't hurt anyone; not on purpose."

"_But you can't let him go… You'll lose your job,"_ replied Kanami.

"I know that too. I don't know what I could do… No one knows about his powers but us…"

"_I have no idea how to help you on this one. This is the first time I ever heard of something like this. What are your options?"_

"Don't know," she answered. "I was trying to think before you called."

"_Oh… Well sorry for being useless… I'll let you go."_

"Don't be, you didn't know. I didn't know. Just don't tell anyone, please."

"_My lips are sealed… Let me know what happens. See you later,"_ Kanami said.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up the phone, Misaki shoved the phone into her pocket and turned around to see Ikeda-kun still sitting on the sofa. He seemed dejected as he stared at the table in front of him. Looking up from where he was, Misaki saw November watching her as he leaned against the doorframe. His expression was closed and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"What do you think we should do?" Misaki asked as she retook her seat next to Ikeda-kun.

"I don't know…"

Leaning back against the sofa, Misaki closed her eyes as she rested. This was getting nowhere! She didn't know what to do with him. Her only options were to take him in and hope they treated him better, if there was even such a thing, for his minor crimes or to let him off the hook and bring him home… He was just a boy. It wasn't like he had purposely meant to hurt the people he did.

"Ahh! That's it!" she finally exclaimed ten minutes later. "I'm taking you home. We'll deal with your parents somehow…"

"You're not going to tell them?"

"No, I couldn't… You didn't really mean to hurt those people."

"You're going to put your job on the line for him?" November asked incredulously.

"What else would you have me do? Turn him in?" Misaki responded, turning to glance at him as he was still with them. "They'll rip him to shreds… I know it. I couldn't possibly do that to him! Come on, Ikeda-kun, I'll take you home. You'll just have to deal with the punishment your parents give you for sneaking out of the house so late."

"Won't you get in trouble…?"

"Of course she will… You better not act out on your powers anymore, or you'll put her in even _more_ trouble!" November snapped.

Misaki glared at him as he didn't have to yell at the child. He already knew that he did wrong and it seemed like she could influence him onto the right path, despite his newfound powers. It wasn't like yelling at him was going to help.

"It's okay. Don't mind him," Misaki said gently with a small smile. "I'll be fine. It's not as scary as he makes it out to be. I've been in this position before. Come, before your parents start to worry."

"I'm going with you."

With only a quick glance at him, Misaki took Ikeda-kun by the hand and pulled him towards the entrance. It was getting late as it was nearing midnight and she knew his parents would be worried if he wasn't home. Despite November's words, it was the best option given what she had. She would not willingly hand him over to the government when she knew what they would do with him. If she got in trouble, it wasn't like it would be the first time.

November followed along as they exited his house and made their way to Misaki's car again. He couldn't believe that she would willingly take the heat for the brat. Any punishment he got was punishment he deserved. It didn't make sense for her to let him off the hook like this. Even so, she wasn't going to change her mind now. The least he could do was see this through to the bitter end. He almost wondered if it would be better if he hadn't found this information on the kid.

"Thank you," Ikeda-kun murmured quietly to Misaki as she stopped by the car to open the door for them. "I won't do it again, I promise…"

"That a boy. I don't want to hear anything about you anymore and next time, I won't be so lenient. Think of this as your first and only warning."

"Thank you. I promise! I can't thank you enough," he replied.

November wanted to say more, but didn't think he would get away with it after Misaki had glanced at him before making her way around to the driver's side. It was almost like she already knew what he was thinking… All that he could do now was enter the car and keep her company while they returned the boy to his home.


	21. Chapter 21

Last update of the year :) I'll be back in the new year with more! Promise XD

Hope everyone enjoys their holidays!

**********

**Chapter 21**

"You did what?!"

"Shh… Keep your voice down," Misaki instructed.

Kanami stared at her like she was insane and all Misaki could do was sigh. She had promised her friend that she would inform her of the latest events, which happened to be the situation with NJ-629. They were discussing this at Kanami's place, due to the sensitivity of the information. Despite her reaction, along with November's reaction, Misaki couldn't place him in the hands of the government – not if she wanted to keep her conscience clear.

"Let me get this straight. You put your _own_ career on the line for a Contractor," Kanami replied.

"Technically, yes, but he's only a boy."

"You are too soft. Where's your sense of justice? He wronged many people with his actions!"

"My sense of justice is perfectly fine, thank you. It's that sense of justice which disallows me from reporting him," answered Misaki. "He isn't like other Contractors. He felt remorse for his action; his sense of logic is that of a child, regardless of his Contractor abilities. They would only rip him to shreds to determine his secrets… If not train him to be a pawn… You know that."

"I guess," she said with a sigh. "Still, Horai is going to be on your case if you don't close it which you can't now…"

"That's fine. As long as he doesn't act out again, then it'll be fine. It's better than what they would do if I did close the case."

"At least next time, tell someone. You're not going to be so lucky next time," Kanami warned. "It's not safe for you to be out and about alone, even if you _are_ an officer."

"Warning noted."

"So what happened to the kid anyways?"

"Well, I brought him home and told his parents that I found him wandering the street – which isn't a lie. They were relieved, yet angry at the same time. I left him in their care. I'm sure he got a good spanking, if nothing else," Misaki stated with a grin. "I'm sure he'll think twice before he acts out again."

"Did he tell you why?"

"Bullying… His family is poor. You know how ruthless other kids can be because of something like that… He wanted to prove to them that he could get the things that they had."

"Maybe we just need to deal with a better school system, where teachers are more aware of what happens outside of their classrooms," Kanami replied with a sigh. "Then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"Maybe, but you know it has been like that forever… Even when we were kids."

"Which is why you wanted to be an officer in the first place," Kanami pointed out.

"Exactly. Justice isn't only for humans."

"If only other people thought the same way too and if only Contractors didn't act out the way they typically do."

"We do what we can," Misaki answered with a smile.

**********

Sitting alone in the darkness of his office, November closed his eyes as he remembered her words. He still couldn't understand how Misaki would willingly take the blame for the sake of a Contractor. Though he was still a child, he was still a Contractor. He didn't have anything against Contractors, but it was the fact that he had still done wrong, even if it wasn't as dramatic or horrific as murder. Essentially, he was getting off scot-free, regardless of what she said.

The other thing that continued to resurface from that evening was her gentleness and patience as she dealt with the boy. If it were him, he would have just thrown him in jail without listening to his story. Not her. She took the time to learn the boy's name, and set him at ease so that she could learn his reasons behind his actions.

It was the elusive softness to her that he had only seen when she was with her boyfriend prior to this. Though she must be tough on her subordinates, he couldn't imagine that she would be unfair. After all, she could treat a Contractor with fairness, her sense of fairness, when it was her duty to capture those who did wrong.

His mind recalled the event with a vividness that had seeped into his dreams – unhealthy dreams. Last evening had not helped in the slightest as he remembered staring at her slim figure while she was speaking on the phone, standing by his front window. If the boy hadn't been there, and if he wasn't despised by her still, he could see himself walking up towards her.

His arms itched to hold her close and his nose tickled to bury in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. Yet he was still no closer to doing that than he had been since day one. They had spoken briefly, her answers concise as she had kindly dropped him off by his car. She didn't even say goodbye or check that he was okay before she drove off.

Growling softly to himself, something was wrong with him. He was taking this too seriously. The point of the challenge was to make her fall for him. This was not the right way to go about the task. Even as he reminded himself of his purpose, he was nowhere closer to finding the right solution. All he knew was that he was going to have to try harder.

**********

"_Hello?"_

"Hi Yin, is Li home?" Misaki asked.

"_Yes, just a moment…"_

Misaki smiled as she heard her footsteps as she ran to get him. She had spent the evening with Kanami to update her on the status of the NJ-629 case. In the end, she had sent him home without even asking about his power or his remuneration. She supposed it didn't really matter what they were since he had promised not to use it again.

"_He'll be here in a minute,"_ Yin said as she returned. _"You're still coming over this weekend, right? Oh, I have so much to tell you!"_

"Yes, of course. I promised that I would. You know I wouldn't back out of a promise."

"_You do sometimes,"_ Yin grumbled. _"When something happens…"_

"Fine, fine. I wouldn't willingly back out of a promise then," Misaki corrected with a chuckle.

"_Yin, you still need to finish your homework."_

"_Aww… Fine…"_

"_Hello Misaki darling,"_ Li stated with a slight drawl.

"Oh please… Don't talk like that," she replied laughing. "You sound absolutely dreadful!"

"_It's punishment for making me wait. How did things go?"_

"Ah… There's so much to tell you."

"_You know I have all the time in the world for you," _Li replied with a smile. _"So tell me absolutely everything. Start right from the beginning."_

"Okay, okay."

Misaki started off by telling him about her wanderings thoughts, how she questioned if she should have trusted November in the first place, despite the fact that she was already there. She went on to tell him about the sound of breaking glass that had startled her and how she had seen him running out of the store.

She then went on to tell him about November's surprising appearance as he had captured NJ-629. The story continued with the fact that the Contractor was actually a boy and how they ended up at November's house because she wasn't sure what to do with him.

"_What did you do anyways?"_

"I let him go," Misaki admitted slowly, bracing herself for another outburst.

"_And November caught him for you?"_

"Yes… I don't know which surprised me more: the fact that he was only a child or the fact that November would actually show up at such a place. I mean, he already gave me the information to begin with."

"_Which is how he knew exactly where you were, almost,"_ Li pointed out.

"Still! Would you expect him to show up? _Him_, of all people!"

"_No, of course not…"_

"Exactly. I struggled with the decision for a bit. Kanami even called while I was with him since I put his case on immediate alert before this," Misaki explained. "But in the end, I just couldn't put him through it. You know, better than anyone else, what they're capable of… I couldn't possibly put him through that! So I took him home and let his parents deal with him for sneaking out."

"_Are you sure you're okay with this?"_

"More than sure."

"_Well, then what can I say? You know you're stubborn to convince otherwise once you get an idea in your head,"_ Li stated with a grin.

"You don't think it's crazy?"

"_It can't be any crazier than us being friends. So no, I don't think so. That is just how you are and we both know it. Contractor or human, your brain just doesn't seem to register that sort of thing."_

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Misaki whined.

"_Darling, of course it isn't! It's who you are – just the way I like you."_

"Not again!" she complained.

"_So tell me what happened with November,"_ Li replied with a chuckle, steering the conversation to the more interesting aspect as he had seen that part himself.

"Nothing to tell there."

"_He didn't try to do anything?"_

"No, he just insisted on coming along when I was driving Ikeda-kun, that's his name, home. I know he thought I was crazy – I could see it on his face and hear it in the way he protested," Misaki said. "I even got that reaction from Kanami, at least initially. Then she remembered that I've always been like this. Then she had nothing else to say."

"_That's it?"_

"Pretty much… After I dropped off Ikeda-kun and spoke to his parents, I dropped off November by his car since we took mine to his place initially."

"_You didn't look around at his house?"_ Li inquired.

"No, of course not. I was trying to decide what to do with Ikeda-kun. I didn't even think anything of it. Why are you asking all these questions anyways?"

"_Because it's November! I mean, it just isn't like him at all! I'm still having a hard time in believing that he showed up there in the first place…"_

"Oh well," Misaki replied dismissively.

"_Fine, I won't ask anymore. Tell me more about the boy. This is the first time I've heard about young Contractors like this."_

"There isn't that much to know. I didn't ask too many questions, but I will tell you what I do know, alright?"

"_Sounds good to me."_

**********

Li smiled as he hung up the phone, glad that Misaki didn't realize that he had actually been there to watch everything up until the point where she left with November and Ikeda-kun. He wasn't surprised that she had let him go. In fact, he had expected that after they had determined with certainty that he was only a child.

It was November who bothered him. He was going way out of his way to help Misaki. Though he didn't think that would win her over, it wasn't a good sign on November's half. It wasn't impossible for his type to fall in love, and he wouldn't be surprised if he fell for Misaki. She was the sweetest, most considerate person he knew and he had met plenty of people in his lifetime.

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry too much since she was oblivious to her own charms. The only downfall was that she wasn't observant when it came to the opposite gender – not when it came to relationships. As a result, he couldn't fully analyze November's state of mind; not unless they were actually meeting in person.

After this weekend was over, things should return to normal for their routine. He hadn't been able to pick her up as frequently as he had in the past. Perhaps he would get the chance to meet November again… He was looking forward to that. But before all else, he had his own agenda to see to as there was something that he needed to do; something that only he could do.

Glancing at the clock, it was getting late. Yin should already be in bed by now as they had already discussed the issue for well over two hours. Quietly making his way to her room, Li carefully opened her bedroom door to peek in on her. Like he had surmised, Yin was asleep, her butterfly nightlight turned on. Just as quietly as he had opened the door, he closed it and made his way to his own room to rest for the evening.

**********

**A/N:** No cliffhanger here! Thank goodness... Otherwise that would be so mean~


	22. Chapter 22

Back with more! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday :)

Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 22**

"Misaki!"

"Hello there," she said softly as Yin came barrelling towards her after Li opened the door. "How are you doing?"

"I can't believe you're really here! I know Li told me you were coming, but I mean… I'm so excited!" she replied happily.

"I'm happy to be here."

She gave the girl a quick hug before she was pulled into the living room the second her shoes came off. She supposed it had been a while since she had come, especially with Horai being on her case about NJ-629. Even so, nothing had happened afterward and she could finally relax on her weekend.

"You remember July right?"

"Of course. How could I forget the young man I always hear so much about?" she asked with a smile. "It's wonderful to meet you again."

"You too," he replied.

Misaki's grin widened as a slight blush touched his cheeks, just like it had the first time they met. Though Yin was oblivious to the young man's emotions, it was always a good thing to be held in high esteem. The three of them sat on the sofa together while Li had gone back to the kitchen to finish up with the food.

"So tell me what you've been doing."

"Well, today, July's parents took us to the amusement park! It was _so_ fun!" Yin exclaimed.

"They said it was a treat since I did well on our last semester. They said I could invite a friend and Yin said she never went to one before when I told her about it."

"That's right… Li's always busy with work and so are you. There's no one else to take me to one."

"You know it's not because we don't want to," Misaki replied gently when the girl gave her a small pout. "Besides, I'm sure you tried everything out there."

"We did! We even went on the roller coaster, didn't we?"

"Mm hm. That was…"

"July was dizzy after we got off," Yin answered with a giggle. "We had to take a break after that, but they treated us to ice cream!"

"So what was your favourite ride?"

"Um… There are so many to choose from! I don't know…"

"I liked the ship one that rocks back and forth," July answered with a smile. "I thought it'd be scary, but it was actually a lot of fun!"

"And games? Did you try those?"

"A few… But we didn't win anything."

"I'm terrible at those too," Misaki admitted. "But I'm sure Li would be amazing, if we ever got the chance to go together."

"You would go with us?"

"If we ever get the chance to, of course we'd take you two! Maybe in the summer I can get some vacation time."

"That would be so fun! His parents didn't go on any of the rides with us, but you and Li would!"

"If we have time," Li stated, joining their group. "Did you feed Mao yet?"

"No…"

"If you would. Supper is almost ready."

"Thanks for having me over," July replied.

"Not a problem. It's the least I can do since you guys took Yin to the amusement park. Besides, it's always worth the celebration – at least to Yin – when Misaki can make it over."

"Of course! She hardly has _any_ time for me!" Yin exclaimed before going to do as Li asked.

"It's not like I _don't_ want to come…"

"No one's really blaming you. She's just whining, like usual."

"I heard that!" she called out from the kitchen.

July chuckled as Misaki turned to give him a smile. The three of them made their way to the kitchen to help set up for their evening meal. Misaki and July helped to set the table while Li went to procure drinks for everyone – juice for the children and tea for the adults. Overall, it was to be a festive and lively gathering.

**********

Alone in the dark of his office, November sat staring at his computer screen – eyes unseeing. He had checked his sources for the latest information regarding NJ-629. There had been nothing. There had been no activity from the child and no news regarding Misaki's situation. Nothing dramatic had happened. Even so, he still had a hard time believing that she would take the flak for a Contractor – child or not.

He thought that the child would act out, despite his promise to her. But he hadn't. He couldn't help it; he wasn't as trusting as Misaki was. In that sense, he felt regret for finding out the information. Directly, he had jeopardized her future. It had never been his intentions. At the time, it had only been a means of getting closer to her.

Groaning, he rubbed his hands over his face. Even though it shouldn't have, it had bothered him over the last few days. This whole thing was getting under his skin, more than it should. She was the one who chose to let him off the hook. It wasn't like he had forced her to do that. She was old enough to make her own decisions…

Despite everything he tried to tell himself, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling of guilt. She wouldn't have been in that situation if he hadn't discovered that information. He had treated it as a game, but she still took him seriously and went to follow up on the information that he had provided. He hated to admit it, but perhaps this was a challenge that was better left disregarded.

It wasn't that he wasn't curious about Misaki – he still was. It was the fact that playing around in her area of expertise was dangerous. Not to him, but to her. In spite of his tendencies, he had never put anyone directly in harm's way and he didn't want to start now. But if he didn't dig deeper into her cases, he didn't know how else he was supposed to win her over.

**********

"See you on Monday," Yin stated.

"Bye. Thanks for inviting me. I had a lot of fun."

The three of them smiled as they watched July leaving the apartment. His parents had called up to say that they had arrived and were waiting for him in the parking lot. It was later than they would normally stay up since it was the weekend. Yin had protested when they had called to inform them of their intentions. They had been playing board games together.

"And what shall we do with you?" Li asked, turning to Yin after closing the door.

"I'm not going to bed yet. I am staying up until Misaki leaves."

"That's fine with me."

"We'll see if you can even stay up that late," Li retorted as he guided them back to the living room. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Sure."

"I'll have juice!" Yin exclaimed.

"Still have lots of energy in you, it seems."

"Of course! I'm always extra energized when you come over!"

Misaki laughed as they took a seat on the sofa. It always pleased her to hear how much Yin enjoyed her company. It was something she didn't always understand, but it was touching nonetheless. Since July had left, the board game was abandoned on the coffee table. Even so, it seemed like there was plenty for Yin to inform her about as she told her about events that had happened since her last visit.

Li joined them a few minutes later, placing their drinks on the table. He sat on the sofa on the other side of Yin, leaning back as he listened to her chatter. She could talk forever and ever, something so different from how she used to be. He didn't know why or how she had become like this, but he liked her better this way.

Though she had stated she would stay awake until Misaki left, it was hardly the case and her eyes began to drift closed while Misaki was telling her about her own events. The girl started to sway gently, unable to hold herself up straight. Grinning at Li, Misaki had expected this to happen. It happened every time.

"Hm? I'm still listening," she murmured when Misaki lightly pushed her to lean against the sofa.

"I know you are. You'll just be more comfortable this way."

Nodding her head in response, she didn't open her eyes. Misaki continued to talk, like she normally did. It would take her a few more minutes before she would fall asleep completely. Then, Li would take her to her room before they would start their own conversations.

As predicted, Yin's breathing became even as she started to slumber. Li nodded his head. He gazed fondly at Yin as he stood looking down at her. She tried too hard, but it was a part of who she had become. Gently slipping his arms underneath her, she shifted in his arms, snuggling against him; her head tucked comfortably against the hollow at the base of his throat.

"I'll be right back," he whispered.

"Take your time," she replied, shaking her head gently.

Li nodded in response before heading to Yin's room. Luckily, she had changed into more comfortable clothes after her return from the amusement park. Stepping close to the door, he easily turned the doorknob – an action that he had quickly become adept at. With only the nightlight to guide him, he made his way to her bed.

She murmured slightly in protest as he shifted her so he could pull back the covers. Even so, he laid her on the bed and tucked the covers around her. She didn't stir from her sleep, but he took a seat on the edge of the bed to watch her. It always amazed him how different she was. Despite everything that had happened, they were still together and she was quickly blossoming to become a beautiful young lady.

A smile graced his lips and he brushed back the hair from her face. It was moments later before he got up to leave the room. Misaki understood as he tried his best to provide for their now normalized lifestyle. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend more time with Yin; it was just how things were since his previously undercover positions had become their reality.

"Is she sleeping?" Misaki asked as he took a seat right next to her.

"Like a baby."

"You're doing wonderful."

"Sometimes I still wish I could do more," answered Li, not needing to question what she was referring to. "I know she wouldn't hold it against me, but I wish I could be the one to take her places – not indirectly relying on July's parents."

"What do you think about him?"

"I like him. Luckily I do, or Yin would be very vocal about it otherwise."

"He's a good kid. Just wait a few years…" she stated.

"What are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing really."

"I know a lie when I hear one, but I'll let you off the hook for now," he answered, pulling her close so her head was resting against his shoulder. "So how are things at work? Did you get in trouble?"

"No one knew about it, so no. But if you mean in general that I got the lecture, then yes. I get it every week since we're supposedly no closer to finding him."

"I bet Kanami wasn't very happy when she heard about it."

"It seems no one was," Misaki said lightly. "You didn't question me on it, but it's not like there wasn't a hint of doubt in your mind."

"I suppose that's true. He might be a child, but you still never know… Maybe he was using that against you. I wouldn't be surprised."

"I refuse to be that cynical. He showed remorse and that's enough for me."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Li protested as she leaned back to gaze up at him.

"No, but I know what you're thinking."

"All the more reason for me not to say anything," he replied with a grin.

"Ah… You're terrible," she murmured.

"Not _that_ terrible. Not so terrible that you wouldn't find time to spend with me and Yin."

"Who else would cook such wonderful food for me to eat?"

"True. Though… I know someone you could seek out who would buy you wonderful food to eat," he grumbled lightly.

Misaki giggled as he was still slightly bitter about the fact that she ate delicious food at November's expense. He smiled in response, a reaction she could sense. He always knew how to help her relax. Closing her eyes, she sighed contentedly in response. For a fantastic weekend, she never had to look any farther than look for Yin and Li.


	23. Chapter 23

Oops... Falling behind :) Anyways, here's more to the story! Hope you enjoy it~

**********

**Chapter 23**

"Hello?"

"_Did you do something? What happened?"_ Kanami asked in a hushed whisper.

"Hm? What are you talking about? I can hardly hear you."

"_It's gone!"_

"Kanami, you're not making any sense," Misaki stated. "What are you talking about? What is gone? I can't answer your questions if you don't tell me what happened."

"_Our system was down – I know how bad that sounds – for approximately thirty seconds last night… It seemed like nothing changed. Then we saw it… NJ-629's star is gone."_

"Are you serious?" Misaki asked in disbelief.

"_You know I wouldn't lie about something like this! I thought you knew something."_

"No… This is the first I heard."

"_Okay. I thought you would know something,"_ Kanami replied. _"I guess Horai will be glad though since we all know what that means."_

"I have to go," Misaki answered, paling at the thought.

"_You're going to..."_

"I have to go. I'll tell you later."

"_Alright…"_

She couldn't believe her ears. When a star disappeared, it meant that a Contractor died. It seemed too coincidental for Ikeda-kun's star to vanish like that. After all, no one was supposed to know anything about him – no one but her… The only other people were Kanami, November and Li. None of them would do anything to harm the boy; there was no reason to.

Luckily, she had been out on her own errand as Saitou and the others weren't there to overhear her conversation. Dropping what she had been working on, she headed back to the office to grab her things. There was only one way to confirm the news that she had just heard.

"I'll be out," Misaki announced when she returned to the room. "I'll be back later."

"Where are…"

She didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of the question, the door closing behind her as she rushed to the elevator. It wouldn't take that long to get to Ikeda-kun's house. If anything happened to him last night, his parents would know. She knew that his mother stayed home while his father worked and he was at school.

**********

"Hello?"

"Hello Ikeda-san," Misaki stated, hoping she didn't sound panicked.

"Kirihara-san? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I uh… I wanted to see Ikeda-kun."

"Jun? He went to school this morning… Did something happen?"

"At school?" Misaki asked, surprised.

"Yes, just like he does every day… What is it?"

"Oh… I heard that there had been vandalism at a store in the area last week. I just thought I should check on him, considering what happened last week. I was a little worried," Misaki answered, hoping she didn't sound too obvious in her lie. "I didn't have time until now…"

"Yes well… His father was not very pleased when you appeared that evening. He'll think twice before he acts out like that again," she answered with a small smile. "He has always been a good boy. I don't know why he decided to sneak out like that."

"I guess he had a reason. I'm sorry to bother you like this. I must have startled you, showing up unannounced at your door like this."

"No, I thank you for your concern. I… I know it's tough on Jun since we're not in the best situation," Ikeda-san replied with moist eyes. "I would work if I could, to provide more for him, but I just… Maybe it sounds old-fashioned to you in our times now, but I was taught that all we needed as females was to be good wives and good mothers."

"Don't be like that," Misaki said. "You do your best and Ikeda-kun wouldn't blame you. He knows that. I'm sure you're a wonderful mother and wife. Please, continue to do your best for him. You said it yourself that this was the first time he has acted out like this."

"Thank you. If you have time, you're always welcome to drop by for a visit… That is if you don't mind the poor accommodations."

"I would be honoured. Please tell Ikeda-kun that I say hi and pass on my best regards. Also, remind him to be careful when he is out. Though we don't like to think so, the streets can be unsafe."

"Thank you again."

Smiling at the lady, Misaki turned to head back to her car. That was truly good news, though she didn't know it. Kanami had said it was gone last night, but his mother said he had gone to school in the morning. Though she didn't understand why his star would disappear since that was the case, she wasn't going to question it. Horai would be off her case about NJ-629 and that was all she needed to know.

The boy was safe. Nothing had happened to him and she no longer would be forced to hunt him down. They might be curious to know what had happened, but in the long run, she was sure the confusion would die down. There were always active Contractors to hunt down. It had never been their policy to dwell on dead, or presumed dead, ones.

She was about to head back to the office when her phone beeped. She checked it, surprised as it was rare to receive a text message. People knew that the best way to contact her was to actually call. Even so, she quickly glanced at the message. Groaning in response, she put the phone away and pulled away from Ikeda-kun's house. The trip back to the office would have to wait.

**********

"How did you get my number?" Misaki asked accusingly as she was standing in November's family room, the same one she had questioned Ikeda-kun in.

"I have my ways…"

"What do you want?" she asked, realizing that he wouldn't answer that.

"I heard about Ikeda Jun…"

"What about him?"

"Is it true?" he inquired as she refused to tell him. "I could always go check on my own, but I'm sure you already did that."

"He's fine. I spoke to his mother and he went to school in the morning. Now if that's all you wanted to know, I have to get back to work."

She glared at him, knowing he wouldn't let her go if she didn't tell him the truth – not that she had a reason to lie to him about it. She wasn't surprised that he already knew if he had been able to find the information in the first place _and_ discover her phone number somehow.

"Wait," he called out when she turned around to leave.

"What now?"

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?" she asked in surprise, turning to look at him in confusion.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be put in this situation. I know this sounds like a lie, but I never meant to put you in that type of situation at all. I just wanted some way to spend time with you."

"I know that, but it doesn't matter. I would do it even if you weren't the one to tell me and I would do it again if I had to. If there is nothing else you want from me, then I really must get back to work."

"I… No, there's nothing else," he muttered, utterly at a loss for words for once in his life.

"Actually, I know we don't get along, but I really should say thank you. We got off on the wrong foot – for a reason, but you helped me figure out the truth. That's something that I can't ignore. Ikeda-kun is safe; that's more than enough reason for me to thank you."

Before November could say anymore, she nodded her head and left the room while he was still trying to process everything that she had told him. Not only did she say that his apology was unnecessary, but she would have done the same regardless of who had supplied the information. On top of that, she had even gone so far as to thank him, despite knowing his true intentions behind providing that knowledge.

**********

"_That's the weirdest thing ever, but all I can say is that I'm glad."_

Li smiled as that was the best news he had heard from her in weeks. After returning home, Misaki had given him a call to inform him of the latest events. Kanami had called her to tell her that NJ-629's star had disappeared which had spurred her on to check on him; she found that he was not only safe, but resuming his normal, pre-Contractor lifestyle.

"What happened anyways?" he asked as he leaned against the balcony railing, gazing into the direction of her apartment.

"_No one knows; it's quite mysterious. The system was down for a brief second which happens from time to time. I mean, despite all the security and extra precautions taken, technology is fickle like that. All that they know is that before it was down, his star was still there; after it was down, his star had disappeared."_

"There's no way to check… Somehow?"

"_No, not from what Kanami told me,"_ Misaki answered. _"There's no way a star could just disappear like that; not from what we do know. But I don't care. I checked on Ikeda-kun myself and though I didn't see him with my own two eyes, his mother informed me that he had left for school that morning. If anything happened to him, it should have happened during the night and there would be no way for him to actually go to school. I mean, he should have been dead."_

"Whatever the case, that's wonderful news!"

"_Don't I know it? Even Horai congratulated me on solving the case… I didn't really say anything in response, but gave him the typical nod."_

"Taken by someone filled with humility," Li teased.

"_Of course,"_ she responded with a grin. _"I didn't even know what to say. They just assumed I did something which I didn't. It's not like I would kill a Contractor unless I really, really had no choice. I suppose he conveniently forgot that fact because the pressure would also be off of him."_

"Are they going to investigate into the situation any further to determine what exactly happened?"

"_I doubt it,"_ replied Misaki. _"They probably want to. Unless there was an actual security breach at the observatory, then no, I don't think there will be. In such a short time frame… That's too much security for even a seasoned professional to get through. I'm sure it was just a glitch somewhere, as silly as that sounds."_

"Then, should we go celebrate somewhere?"

"_Do you have time?"_

"Do you?" Li countered.

"_Honestly, I don't know,"_ she said. _"It seems like they want to pile more work on me since I 'miraculously' solved the mystery case. Besides you and Kanami, and November of course, no one even knew about him."_

"A rain check then? You know I'll make time for you whenever I can. Just let me know when you're free."

"_Sounds good to me."_

"Perfect. Somewhere familiar or somewhere new?"

"_Hm… How about the Home Run House?"_ Misaki asked. _"We haven't been there in a while."_

"A woman after my own heart," he replied with a chuckle. "One of my favourites."

"_I know."_

"Of course you do. I'll let you go then. Talk to you later?"

"_Yes, you know where to reach me if you need me."_

"Back at you. See you."

"_Bye."_

Hanging up the phone, Li sighed contentedly. He didn't ever think that he would find this place again – an environment where things were right in his world. He had Yin with him to keep him company on a regular basis, but also Misaki to turn to when necessary. It was a warming feeling – to be needed; not because of any special powers that he might have, but just because he was who he was.

Gazing out into the distance a while longer, he finally turned to go back inside. As he stepped inside again, Yin was waiting for him by the kitchen with a smile on her lips. Smiling in return, he locked the doors before joining her. She pushed a hot mug of tea into his hands before she turned to pour another one for herself.

"Was that Misaki?" she asked.

"Yes, and everything is going well with her."

"That's good to hear."

"Of course. Now shall we sit together and enjoy some tea before I send you off to bed?" Li inquired.

"Alright…" she replied reluctantly.


	24. Chapter 24

Ahaha~ I think this is a cute chapter :) Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 24**

November grinned as he stood outside of Misaki's office. It had been a while since he had last been here, but the times called for new actions. He was earlier than usual; that was because he wasn't looking for Misaki this time. There was a certain friend he wanted to visit – the one who had helped him out last time.

After thinking about what Misaki had told him, he decided that there was no reason to feel guilty about something that she wasn't even bothered by. It was just part of her nature. She said it herself; she would have done the same regardless of who provided the information _and_ she would do it again if she were in the situation another time.

He didn't think that she would willingly tell him more about her cases. This was the only way to continue putting himself in her path, until she finally realized that he wasn't going to go away. Hoping that the other one wasn't with him this time, November waited for Saitou to appear. If he had recognized him from the club, it wasn't going to be difficult for his partner to recognize him – knowledge that he might already have passed along.

Luckily for him, he saw Saitou exit the building by himself. Putting on a friendly face, November pushed away from the building wall and walked towards him. This would be over quickly as Saitou didn't seem to be brightest in the bunch.

"Hello," he called out.

Saitou glanced up in surprise as he never expected to meet anyone outside of the office. He had been about to head home when he recognized the man who had called out to him. Grimacing, he took a step backward like he wanted to run away.

"Hello Saitou," November said as he quickly closed the distance between them. "You remember me, right?"

"I do… You got me in trouble last time," he accused. "What do you want?"

"In trouble? I wouldn't do something like that."

"Well you did! The chief was upset with me for talking to you. You're not actually an informant. You're just trying to steal information. Well I won't let you this time."

"Tsk tsk, then your chief is lying," November stated.

"She would never lie!"

"Ah, but I was and I _am_ an informant. How do you think she captured NJ-629? She _did_ capture him and solve the case, didn't she?"

He had been about to retort that he was making things up, but it was true… She didn't actually capture him, but they knew that the case was solved. At least, they had been informed that the Contractor had passed away. After all, his star had disappeared.

"You can even ask her yourself. You said that she doesn't lie, so she would tell you if you ask about me. I'm here to help."

"What do you want?" Saitou asked reluctantly as there was some truth in his words and it wasn't something that just anyone would know.

"She's always busy; she doesn't have time to answer all my questions, so I thought you could help. She hasn't given me any information about her latest cases."

"Shouldn't you be asking her yourself?"

"Like I said, she's always busy," he repeated. "Come now, my good man. Isn't it your duty to support your chief?"

"Of course! I take my job very seriously!"

"That's why you should be helping us both out. What is she working on now?"

Saitou stared at him, not sure if he should say anything. After all, Misaki _did_ say that he shouldn't be speaking to anyone about cases without authorization. But he knew about the NJ-629 case and what had happened there… He must have provided information just like he said. It was also true that she was always busy…

"Well… Since you helped us last time," Saitou finally replied softly. "She has been really busy since NJ-629's case was over since the commander was impressed with her work… This time, she's working on finding TG-395. The second case is HU-736. She wasn't too pleased to be put on two cases at once."

"Thanks! I'll be sure to find something really good to help her."

November grinned and waved to him before he took off. If he had discovered this man earlier, he might have made more progress in a shorter length of time. Even so, he wasn't going to dwell on the past. Instead, he was going to move forward and continue carrying out the plan of winning over Misaki.

**********

"Saitou, I thought you left," Misaki stated when she saw her subordinate standing in front of her.

"Well… I was on my way out…"

"Did something happen?"

He shuffled his feet as he made his way towards her desk, the office empty of other people as they had already left early for the day. Matsumoto had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon. Kouno and Otsuka had begged for an early day off since they had been working extra hard the last few weeks. In the end, it had only been her and Saitou until the usual leaving time.

Misaki put down her pen as she sat up straight to look at her subordinate. For some reason, he seemed subdued. He must have a reason for coming back, but she couldn't figure out what it was. He was a hard worker, but he didn't usually stay too late if he didn't have to. She could understand that; not everyone was a workaholic like her.

"What happened?" Misaki asked gently with a small smile, trying to coax him to speak. "You were quite excited about leaving earlier."

"I…"

When he finally glanced at her, he gave her the most pitiful expression she had seen coming from him and it was cause for concern. Whatever had happened in those few minutes since he had first left had been enough to drastically change his mood.

"Take your time."

"Is November the one who helped you solve the NJ-629 case?" he finally asked quietly a few minutes later.

"November?"

"Yes… You know, the man who you originally said was not your informant…"

"I did say that at first," Misaki answered slowly, not sure where this was going. "But yes… For the NJ-629 case, he was the one to help me."

"Thank God!"

"Saitou!"

Misaki jumped up out of her seat and rushed to the other side of the desk as his legs had given way from underneath him and he collapsed to the floor in a giant puddle. Not understanding the connection between now and November, she was more concerned about his health.

"Come, have a seat," she said as she tugged on his arm. "Why are you asking about him at a time like this? You should be at home if you're not feeling well."

Saitou blushed as she had leaned in towards him, concern evident in her voice. It wasn't like he had collapsed on purpose. He had just been that relieved to find out that he didn't needlessly share more information than was necessary. He had promised the chief that he wouldn't do it again, but if he could really help them…

"I – I'm f – fine," he stammered when she tugged on his arm yet again.

"No you're not. You wouldn't have collapsed like that if you were. Let's get you to the seat and I shall call the doctor."

"I'm r – really fine."

"At least take a seat and rest there," Misaki insisted. "Do you need a glass of water?"

"Chief! I'm fine!"

Startled by his outburst, he blushed harder when she turned her gaze his way. It wasn't really that big of a deal. It was the first time he had seen her act like this, but at the same time, he was touched that she did care enough to panic just a little.

"I… I asked you that because I met him outside on my way out," Saitou explained, glancing away when she didn't look away. "I – I know you said not to tell… And I didn't really mean to… But the commander has given you so much more work and he _did_ know about the outcome of the NJ-629 case… He said he was your informant for that case. I thought if he could help you again… I'm so sorry!! I promise; this time I really, _really_ won't do it again!"

"What did you tell him?"

"About the TG-395 case and the HU-736 one…"

"As long as you don't do it again," she answered with an inward sigh.

For some reason, Saitou had become their linking target… And she could understand why. Despite all warnings, he was the trusting type by nature and had good intentions in telling November. She couldn't say that he wasn't the one to give her information on NJ-629. He had used Saitou's good intentions against him, and ultimately against her.

"I – I'm not in trouble? I… I promised last time… I'm really sorry!"

"Then remember that feeling of guilt before you speak next time. I know you meant well, and as your chief, I really appreciate all the hard work that you put in," Misaki stated. "But I can't keep protecting you. The next time you tell someone, you might not be so lucky as to slip information to an informant. You know what that means if that happens…"

Paling at the thought of sharing information with the enemy, Misaki watched as he hung his head in shame. Seriously… November needed to stop using the people around her to get to her. It was one thing to harass her directly, but it was going to cost Saitou his job one day if he kept it up.

"I'm so sorry," Saitou murmured, not knowing what else to say.

"I know you are. The next time you see November, please avoid him at all costs. I do not want to lose you – you're a valuable member of this team."

"Yes chief!"

"I'll deal with him," Misaki said. "Please take care as you go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Nodding in response, Saitou finally smiled as she didn't punish him and even promised that she would help him. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but at the same time, he couldn't think of a good reason not to tell him… After all, if he turned out to be the one – which he did – then he would have missed the chance to have him help them.

Misaki made her way back to her desk as Saitou exited the room. Honestly, she thought things would have been over with November after NJ-629 was dealt with. She didn't know _why_ she had thought that; it was more likely just an overwhelming desire. After all, he hadn't attempted to contact her after their chat at his house.

Apparently, she had been sadly mistaken. Not only was he _not_ finished trying to win her over, he was more persistent than before! Sighing now that Saitou was gone, Misaki took off her glasses and placed them on top of her desk. So much for doing her work in peace…

Leaning back against the chair with her arm held over her eyes, she had to decide how exactly she was going to deal with November. She hadn't said that to Saitou as a blind promise; she just had to come up with a decent game plan first. For now, she had no idea what that might be.

Like Saitou had alluded to, she had plenty of work to complete as Horai had deemed her worthy of handling two active cases at once – as the sole investigator. All because she had miraculously solved the NJ-629 case when in reality, she had done absolutely nothing at all. Ikeda-kun was fine despite the disappearance of his star; something that she had no knowledge of until Kanami had informed her…

**********

**A/N:** Okay, so this is the point where I answer a question that is sure to come up... What happened to Ikeda-kun? The disappearance of his star is supposed to be linked to the mini cliffhanger of ch 21. The one where there was something that only Li could do... I don't _really_ know what he could do to make a star disappear, but that was the implication... XD Zap him overnight? haha~ I don't know. It's not really obvious imo, and it wasn't supposed to be a major factor or anything like that.


	25. Chapter 25

Finally!! I would have updated this earlier (like two days ago), but the site was having processing errors with my file... Bleh. But now it works! This is one of my favourite chapters so far, so I hope you like it~

**********

**Chapter 25**

"Where the hell _is_ he?!"

"_Where is who?"_ Li asked, trying to handle Misaki's volatile mood.

"November! That lousy bastard! Why is it that he can find me when he wants, but I can't find him when I need to?!"

Misaki grimaced as she was pacing the length of her bedroom. She had decided to talk to November, but the problem there was that she couldn't find him! He had disappeared off the face of the planet, as far as she knew. She had thought she could track him down from the text message he had sent before, yet the number had been blocked.

There was only one other place where she knew to find him. When she actually went there for the last three nights, there had been no one. Beyond his house that she had visited on a couple of occasions, she had no clues to where he might actually be. Before this, she had avoided him at all costs and he had been the one to hunt her down.

"_Why do you need to talk to him?"_ Li asked, surprised.

"Because the stupid ass keeps harassing Saitou! That man is entirely too trusting… He was utterly miserable when he came to me a few days ago since I warned him not to speak to anyone regarding cases… And yet, he couldn't help doing it again, especially since November knew some information that most people don't."

"_What are you going to do?"_

"I don't know yet, but I have to talk to him first," Misaki answered angrily.

"_Do you want me to have Yin track him down?"_

"Yin? Does she even remember how to?"

"_Why would she forget something like that?"_ Li replied with a chuckle.

"But how would she know who to track…"

"_Don't question it so much – just answer yes or no and we'll handle it."_

"It won't get you or her in trouble… Will it?" she asked reluctantly.

"_Of course not. I would never put her at risk if it did."_

"Then yes."

**********

Staring at the computer screen in full concentration mode, November was startled when the buzzer phone rang. He had been in the middle of his research for Misaki's two cases that Saitou had informed him about. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was well into the evening, later than anyone should reasonably attempt to contact him; not to mention that no one even knew about this place since he never had anyone over.

Sighing softly, he quickly went to answer it since the person didn't seem intent on going away. In fact, they seemed to be more persistent as the phone continued to ring when he was slow to see who it was. He couldn't even begin to imagine who it might be. It wasn't like he was expecting anyone, especially not around ten in the evening.

"Hello?"

"_Open the door."_

"Misaki? What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise as he hit the buzzer to open the main door of the apartment for her.

He waited for her reply when he realized that she had disappeared. The sound of her voice had been replaced by the sound of beeping since there was no longer anyone on the other end. That was when he realized that she knew exactly where to find him and that she was coming up to find him right _now_.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he glanced around the apartment.

The place wasn't exactly meant for having company as he had magazines strewn across his coffee table, clothes tossed on the back of chairs or sofas and dirty dishes from supper left on the counter. If he was trying to impress her, this was not the best way to do so… Scrambling to clean up after himself, he rushed to the kitchen to toss the dirty dishes into the sink before trying to tidy up the magazines left out.

It seemed like seconds later when the knock on his door came and he groaned as she had arrived much too quickly. He wasn't given much chance to continue his clean-up duty as she was persistently knocking on the door.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he was about to answer the door to realize that he was not only half-dressed, but he was wearing his scruffy lounge pants.

It wasn't the best thing to receive her in, especially when she was coming over to his place. Instead of opening the door, he rushed back to his room, grabbing his clothes along the way. He quickly stripped off the pants and stepped into his usual getup of dress pants. Even so, she was still knocking on the door…

"I'm coming!" he called out as he rushed to the door while shoving his arms into a dress shirt.

Managing to make it without stumbling into anything, he quickly opened the door for her to let her in. Not only had he not been expecting anyone, but she had to be the last person he would _ever_ expect. Based on their last conversation, it wasn't like she had seemed any friendlier towards him than she had any other meeting.

"Oh shit," he muttered again as she stared at him.

He looked down to see that he didn't have time to button up. Turning around, feeling embarrassed for some reason, he quickly did up the buttons. He wasn't usually this clumsy, but it felt like his fingers fumbled around unnecessarily with a task that should be second-nature to him by now. It took him a few minutes before he turned back around to see that she had already entered his place and closed the door behind her.

"So uh… What brings you here?" he asked.

"I needed to talk to you."

"I see… How did you find me anyways?"

"I have my ways," she answered with a smirk.

She didn't say anymore as she glanced around at his place. Her expression remained neutral so he couldn't tell what she was thinking. But the fact that she wasn't saying anything and knowing that she was judging him even more based on what she saw made his heart pound. This was the first time he had ever had any woman over at his place like this.

"Right, so what did you want to talk about?" November inquired when she still didn't say anything.

"You need to stop harassing my workers."

Usually the one on the offensive, November squirmed under her steady gaze. It was disconcerting to have her show up unannounced while he had been in the middle of something else. He didn't even think she would know where to find him. Now that she was here though, he told himself that it was best to make use of this encounter.

He turned around to walk back to his workstation, taking in a deep breath to settle his unusually finicky nerves. Closing the lid of the laptop with finality, he eventually turned back to her with the smile she had become accustomed to seeing from him. He could tell that she had instinctively realized the change in him as she took a step back away from him.

"I never expected to see you here, Misaki darling," he replied lightly.

"That's _still_ Kirihara-san to you."

"Is that so? And what is it that has you seeking me out in the middle of the night, Misaki?" he asked, his grin broadening.

"Like I said, you need to stop harassing my workers."

"Tsk, tsk. I would never do anything of the sort! I'm wounded that you could think so poorly of me. I would never harass anyone, and definitely not anyone important to you."

"I don't believe a word you say," Misaki retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Give me your phone."

His only response was to approach her as she held out her hand expectantly. She was not going to put up with him causing Saitou unnecessary grief. She wouldn't be so selfless to say that it was only for his sake that she was doing this; she wanted more control in their so-called relationship and it didn't help when he used her subordinates against her. Her sense of justice was kicking in, along with her innate sense of survival.

Not only did he not give her his phone as she had demanded, he had taken hold of her hand and pulled it to his lips in one swift motion. As his lips lingered against her palm, Misaki stiffened and tried to tug free of his grasp. It didn't help as he didn't release her; in fact, it increased the contact time as his lips shifted with the movement of her hand.

Misaki felt herself blush, a traitorous response as she had never been in a situation like this. As she glanced around helplessly, his words resettled in her mind. She was the one to come in the middle of the night as she had come the moment Li had informed her of what Yin had been able to discover… Even so, she didn't know how she was supposed to get out of this as her mind and body froze from his unexpected actions.

He lifted his lips and pressed another kiss to her inner wrist before he finally loosened his grasp on her. Quickly, she snatched her hand away from him. Despite that reaction, November was pleased to see that she was blushing. Compared to the stoic ice-queen she usually was, this response of hers was so much better.

"Give me your phone," Misaki demanded again, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Now why would I do such a thing like that when you'll go dashing out of my door the moment I do? It's unexpected, but I can't say that this isn't a pleasant surprise. I can think of better things to do right now."

November took a step towards her and she instinctively took a step back. The distance between them was maintained the same as he took steps of equal proportions to hers. Any other woman would have fallen into his arms without a second thought, but not her. She didn't like to run away like a coward. How was she supposed to do her job of hunting down Contractors if she couldn't even handle a man like him?

Even so, she couldn't help it. Every fibre in her being was telling her to run before she ended up being drawn into his pace, especially since they were alone together – in _his_ apartment, no less. She continued to back away and he continued to follow until there was nowhere else to go. Her back hit the front door and he stood in front of her, crowding the small entryway.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide, in the dimmed space as there was only a bit of light trickling towards them from the living room. Her brain kept telling her to push him away, but not a muscle moved. Feeling incredibly stupid, she did nothing but watch him. Her hands were held against the door, palms flat against the surface.

He stared back, his eyes assessing the situation. It wasn't a feeling that she liked – that he could seem to read something there. She could tell by the way he smirked just a little. He stepped just a tad closer and she still couldn't make her body move.

_Do something! Get out of here,_ her mind screamed at her.

No response. Instead, she continued to stare at him, only blinking a couple times. Her palm and wrist were still tingling from the warmth of his lips against them. It seemed like her body had switched to auto-pilot and she had no control over what happened next. So much for the main purpose of coming here…

November continued to move closer towards her until they were barely an inch away from each other. Still she didn't move. In fact, she closed her eyes like she was anticipating something which only made him inwardly chuckle. So regardless of the stiff act she put on when they did meet, it seemed like his Misaki was thawing towards him more than she let on.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Misaki was forced to listen to what happened next. It should be so simple just to lift up her hands and push him away… But for some reason, she stood there like a statue, not knowing what to do. Something about the moment told her that he was going to kiss her. Even for someone relationally challenged, she knew that much. Not much else could happen when he had her pinned against the front door…

**********

**A/N:** Now this is what I call a cliffhanger! Lolz~ But finally... We're getting somewhere... :)


	26. Chapter 26

Not even a week! So no complaints of waiting too long! XD

I thought I should be nice and post this since I keep teasing Dear4Life about the other stories I'm working on for her birthday. Lolz~ Just to make up for it (a little), an early release of the next chapter! Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 26**

His face came closer and closer as she could hear the faint sound of his breathing. Then it finally hit her, kick starting her brain back into high gear. She could smell the faint scent of cigarettes lingering on his breath, a scent she hated with a passion. Her eyes flashed open and a wrinkle of disgust crossed her features.

"Have you been smoking?" she asked, breaking the moment when his face was only an inch away from hers.

Inwardly groaning, November pulled away and turned his back on her. So much for kissing her… Something he had been slow in carrying out – both because he had this nervous tick overcome him and because he had wanted to savour the moment. Now she broke the spell by asking if he had been smoking.

"Maybe a few hours ago."

"That's really not a good habit," she replied, displeasure evident in her voice. "Now, are we going to get back to the topic of discussion? I didn't come here to play around with you, though I know that is what you would like."

He felt like rolling his eyes as he couldn't think of anyone else who knew how to effectively kill the mood as quickly as she did. They had just been getting to the good part! Why could she smell something like the scent of cigarettes when he didn't have one since supper? And why did it have to be a smell that she disliked? He had been _that_ close!

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked wearily like the weight of the world had been dropped on his shoulders.

"Saitou – you need to leave him alone. Give me your phone."

This time he didn't put up a fuss as he left her by the entryway to enter his room. He returned moments later, phone in hand. Without asking any more questions, he placed the phone in her hand. He watched carefully as his fingertips grazed her palm, but her only response was to raise an eyebrow.

She didn't say anything as she unlocked the keypad and punched in her own number. She didn't tell him what she was trying to do, leaving him to figure this out based on her actions. The phone was put to her ear as she was calling someone with his phone. Then the sound came a moment later when she pulled out her own phone.

"There, now I have your number. This is my last warning. Leave Saitou alone," Misaki stated. "I know you're doing this for fun, but I won't lose one of my best workers for your petty reasons."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Well, since you seem so keen on being an informant, fine, but no more sneaky tactics and asking about cases through Saitou. Next time, call me directly since you already figured out my phone number."

"Then why do you need my number?" he asked.

"Just in case. You're a hard man to track if you want to be. It's only fair this way."

"What do I get out of it? I mean, if I do leave Saitou alone like you said."

"This was your own plan. Don't ask me," Misaki retorted. "I'm just playing along. And if you do help me like you did with the NJ-629 case, then you shall have my gratitude for your assistance."

"That's not enough of an incentive for me."

"You'd purposely harass Saitou even more when I'm supposed to be your target? I can't believe that you would be so selfish!" she exclaimed. "This is his job, his livelihood!"

"Don't glare at me like that," November answered. "I just meant that I want something from _you_, for the information I give you – and _not_ just your gratitude."

"That's not the way things work."

"Perhaps not, but to make things fair – a term you used yourself – I should get something out of helping you. In other words, I want a reward."

"What kind of reward?" she inquired hesitantly.

Now they were talking. November grinned as he could think of plenty of things that he would consider a reward. He took his time in thinking of what he wanted. Eventually, his gaze drifted back towards the front door.

"No, absolutely not," she stated vehemently when she noticed where his gaze had travelled to.

"Then, a date," he answered without hesitation.

Misaki stared at him, not sure where this was going. It wasn't like she needed his help, but he was the one being persistent in trying to stick his nose in her business. She was only trying to make the most out of her current situation. The main question she had to ask herself was whether or not it was worth it – a date in exchange for information…

"What if I don't agree to give you anything?"

"Mm… Who knows…? Maybe I will just have to be selfish – since I am a selfish person to begin with. You're the one who came here to negotiate."

"I would hate you even more if you did anything that harmed Saitou," she stated.

"I don't believe that you hate me quite as much as you want me to think," he responded with a grin as he glanced at the front door again. "And you can only blame yourself if anything did happen. I already told you what I wanted in exchange. I don't think I'm being unreasonable."

Narrowing her eyes at him, Misaki tried to think of something to say in response. He was feeling extremely smug, something she could tell from the way he smiled at her. Unfortunately, what he said wasn't entirely off the mark. She chose to ignore her moment of insanity, but if Saitou did lose his job because of this… Above all else, she would feel guilty since she did say that she would deal with him.

"Ugh… Fine," Misaki finally replied reluctantly. "But _only_ if something comes out of the information you provide me."

"Deal!"

She stared at him again as he had agreed surprisingly quickly – something she expected him to try and bargain about. He was up to something, but she just didn't know what. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, one glaring while the other one only smiled.

"So I can call you any time?" November eventually asked.

"Only if you have information, otherwise, I don't want to see your name appear on my phone."

"Well then… I'll just have to work extra hard," he replied with a chuckle.

Misaki didn't say anymore and made her way back to the door. He didn't try to stop her, again something she had expected him to do. When she finally opened the door to let herself out, she gave him a curt nod and left. She had seen his hand go up in a wave before she closed the door behind herself.

When Misaki was gone, November made his way to the front door to lock it. He couldn't help it as he continued to grin. He knew what she was thinking. He agreed to it much too quickly. What she failed to realize was that they would have to spend time together when he passed along the information in the first place. There was no way in hell he would do that over the phone when he had an excuse to see her. Essentially, based on her own negotiations, he would get to see her twice for each piece of information that he was able to find.

In a way, it was two steps forward and one step back, but it was still progress. Standing by the door, a million thoughts entered his mind. He was immediately reminded of her body so close to his as she stood with her back pressed against the door. If he hadn't hesitated, they would have actually kissed by now… This then led him to thoughts of their supper together and the seductive sounds that had escaped her lips…

Groaning out loud as his body reacted to the memories, he pushed away from the door in frustration. He was going to need a cold shower before he went to bed. But actually, it might have been a good thing that things turned out the way they did.

Quite easily, he could have tugged her into his embrace and pressed his lips to hers when he first took hold of her hand; except he didn't want their first kiss to happen that way. He wanted it to be special – to be something she enjoyed, a reaction not unlike her enjoyment of the food she ate. If she disliked the smell of cigarettes, he was positive she would have tasted it if he had forced her… Even so, that knowledge did nothing to help alleviate the desire.

**********

Misaki returned to her apartment completely flustered. Despite her act in front of November, her nerves still hadn't settled down. Still, the feel of his lips lingered on her skin; she felt like she had been burnt by the contact. When she had finally reached her car, she had melted into a complete puddle as her emotions battled within her.

It had taken her a few minutes before she was steady enough to actually drive. Even then, the knowledge that they had been that intimate never left her mind. She wasn't even sure who she was angry at more – herself for being the one to create the situation in the first place or November for taking advantage of her like that.

After returning home, she tossed her things onto the couch and made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the cold water and scrubbed her wrist and palm with plenty of soap, hoping to rid herself of the feeling. It was disturbing. She should have thought things through more clearly like she usually did, instead of acting on impulse.

By the time she was finished in the bathroom, both hands were absolutely numb since she had held her hands under icy water for a good fifteen minutes. When she finally looked at her reflection in the mirror, a slight growl escaped her lips. Her cheeks were still rosy. Disgusted with herself, she headed to the bedroom to change.

A glance at the clock told her that it was well into the morning and she would only get a few hours of sleep. Instead of willingly putting herself in such a compromising situation, she should have waited until the morning to seek him out. But now it was too late to do anything about it. She couldn't turn back the clock; she could only deal with the consequences as they came.

**********

"Damn it," he muttered.

November was lying in bed, entirely too aware of the situation that had just passed. Despite the cold shower, his arousal was still peaked. The moment he closed his eyes, the image of her lips slightly parted as she gazed up at him floated into his mind. Her breathing had been soft, but had become faintly shallow. If it weren't for his stupid smoker's breath, he would have been one step closer. Instead, all he had become closer to was another night of uncomfortable sexual frustrations.

Growling as he shifted, he couldn't help wondering what she was doing now. Was she even thinking about what happened or almost happened? He wished she would because then he would know that he was on her mind, just as much as she was on his. He hated the fact that every meeting of theirs ended up like this. Misaki went on her merry way while he was the only one who seemed to suffer from the lack of progress.

Would she tell her boyfriend about it? Was he supposed to expect a confrontation sometime soon? Damn lucky bastard… Maybe she had gone home to be in his arms. Cursing his thoughts, he didn't want to know. His fingers itched to punch him at the idea of his hands on her. It was irrational since he was the third wheel… But he couldn't help it.

Something about her had gotten under his skin and he was that much more determined to steal her away from him. The only problem was that he wasn't making any progress. If anything, meetings with her only served to make him more aware of her and the sensations she created within him.

Sighing softly, there was no point fighting against it. He had already tried on multiple occasions. The more he fought against it and tried to block her from his mind, the more she surfaced at every unexpected opportunity which only served to perpetuate this vicious cycle of frustration.

Doing what he was starting to use as a coping method, he closed his eyes and let himself remember everything about her. The way she had looked during their date; the angry expression on her face when he had continued to use her given name; the gentleness in her voice when she spoke to the boy; the way she had smiled at her boyfriend. He let himself remember all of it before falling asleep.

**********

**A/N:** Ahaha~ I can already hear everyone groaning in disappointment... No actual kiss... _Yet_! XD November has got to work a little harder before that happens~ :) But he's getting somewhere if Misaki is flustered... hehe~

BTW, please let me know if you spot any errors. I was extra lazy about editing it the final time before posting in my haste to get it up.


	27. Chapter 27

I wasn't going to update this story next week, but I'm making good progress on this one! At least, ahead of the posting again so I probably will. And it's a fun part, so I'm excited! ^^ I just wish I could say the same for Snow Blossom. That one is slow going... haha, but I'm too excited not to post this one~

BTW, I noticed some flaws with November's character since he's supposed to be human... Ugh. But I hope it doesn't take away from the overall story too much. (I'll explain when I get there.)

**********

**Chapter 27**

"I look like an utter train wreck," Misaki muttered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Despite the pep talks she gave herself, she hadn't been able to fall asleep the whole night. After she had crawled into bed and pulled up the covers, November's image had drifted into her mind the moment she closed her eyes. It was disturbing that he could distress her this much.

She had tried everything short of cutting her own hand off to help her sleep. A warm cup of tea had taken away the chill in her bones, but did nothing to destroy the memory. She had tried watching TV, but there was nothing interesting on and that only led her thoughts back to him. Reminders of who he truly was did nothing to exterminate the flustered nerves.

Telling herself it was nothing and meant nothing had only been a lie. She had never imagined herself to be in that type of situation in the first place; and to find herself reacting to the situation with a man like November… It didn't help when she told herself that it wasn't anything special because of him; it was because she had never been in a situation like that.

As a result, the remainder of her evening had been an ongoing battle between trying to forget the sensations he had created and trying to get to sleep. Eventually, she had been so exhausted that she fell into a restless sleep, only to awaken what seemed like ten minutes later. Her alarm clock had gone off and it was time to get ready for work.

Her eyes were puffy and there were dark circles underneath them. She had absolutely no energy, all of it sapped from fighting the November demon in her mind. She wasn't even sure how she was going to survive this day at all… Not to mention the idea of telling Li what had happened; something she had said she would do on the phone…

**********

"Chief! What happened to you?"

Misaki looked up with dazed eyes as she heard Saitou calling out to her. Trying to stifle a yawn, she closed her eyes momentarily before she opened them to find him standing at her desk. Did he really have to find her at a time like this? She was ready to pass out at her desk. For once, she was ready to wish everyone to the devil and just go home… It was so dreadful trying to work when she couldn't even keep her eyes open.

"Chief, are you okay?" he asked with concern. "You don't look so well…"

"Is that really something to say to a lady?"

"Eh?" he asked in surprise. "I… Chief! What's wrong with you? Are you sick? Do you need to go see a doctor? Let me take you. I'm sure the commander wouldn't want you to work when you're in such a state as this!"

"I'm fine," she murmured, closing her eyes again.

This time not even trying to hide her yawn, she leaned back against the chair. It was so nice. The image of her big fluffy bed came to mind and she was ready to crawl in and sleep the day away. There wouldn't be anyone to bother her because she would turn off her phone.

"Kouno, you're going to take over the case for today," Saitou instructed as he looked at his chief.

"Eh?"

"That is an order. The chief is not feeling well. She probably pushed herself too much again. I'm going to take her home and make sure she gets some rest. Otsuka, you tell Commander Horai that the chief is not feeling well."

"Okay…"

They glanced at Misaki with concern on their faces. She was usually stern and demanding with them, but never without being an example for them. Out of everyone, she worked the hardest. They had always been afraid that this would happen one day… That she would push herself too hard. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves.

Usually, Saitou would not act on his own like this, but he couldn't stand watching this. If anyone were to come in and find her like this, there would be trouble brewing. He just hoped that she didn't chew him out afterwards for acting on his own… But for her sake, he would take that chance. He wouldn't let anyone look down on the chief he admired so much.

Going around to the other side of the desk, Saitou packed her things into her purse and looked for her car keys at the same time. She didn't even stir from her seat as she had fallen asleep. As a team, they understood her; they just couldn't say the same for anyone else. With her bag in hand, he slung it over his shoulder and carefully extracted her from the chair.

He blushed as she threw her arms around his neck and muttered something into his shoulder. It took him a moment to calm his racing nerves before he managed to carry her fully. This was the closest he had ever been to her; even closer than in his dreams… But for her, there were a lot of things that he was willing to do. She just didn't seem to know that.

"I'm counting on you guys," he stated as he made his way to the door.

"Got it."

"Make sure she gets rest," Matsumoto said.

"I will."

The three of them glanced at each other, each with a worried look in their eyes. Yesterday hadn't even been particularly bad. Whatever had happened to her, they had never seen her acting like this – unresponsive and falling asleep on the job. She hadn't said a word since she arrived; just sitting at her desk and blankly staring at papers in front of her.

**********

Fighting an inner battle as he was carrying her towards her apartment, Saitou couldn't decide if he was doing this for her best interest or if he was just a beastly man taking advantage of the situation like this… A blush crept into his cheeks at the idea of barging into her place, something that he was about to do.

Even so, it wasn't like he could back out now. He had already gotten her this far; he couldn't just abandon her three feet from her door and leave her outside of it while she was fast asleep. She continued to slumber on, oblivious to her change in surroundings. Saitou couldn't help wondering what had caused such a drastic response in her.

His chief was the most capable and dependable woman he knew. She never would act like this; not on purpose. Reminding himself that this was for her, he opened the door and let them in. He would put her back to bed and let her rest. Regardless of what had happened, she of all people deserved a break when she needed it.

He brought her to her room and pulled back the covers before he set her down on the edge. Without his support, she flopped over and continued to sleep with her legs dangling over the side. Sighing softly, for multiple reasons, Saitou helped her out of her shoes before pushing her legs back onto the bed and pulled the covers over her.

As they were alone together, Saitou stood staring down at her, his expression relaxed. She looked so peaceful, unlike before. Wondering what it was that she was dreaming about, he finally turned to leave the room and closed the door behind himself. He made sure to leave her things where she could easily find them and made sure the door was locked before he left to head back to work. For a day like today, he would work doubly hard for the both of them.

**********

Luxuriating in the smell of her bed sheets, Misaki smiled as she stretched out her arms and legs. She felt wonderful! She had rested well, dreaming of ramen and hamburgers and fries… As if on cue, her stomach grumbled in response and she realized that she didn't eat anything yet. Sitting up, that was when she realized that she should be at work!

Scrambling to get out of bed, she hadn't heard her alarm clock ring at all! But when she glanced at the clock, it read three in the afternoon… That couldn't be right at all! As she rushed out of the bedroom to check the kitchen clock, she glanced down to find herself in her work clothes… That didn't make sense at all.

Stretching again, she made her way into the kitchen to find a plate of food on her counter along with a handwritten note. A glance at the kitchen clock told her the same thing as her alarm clock. Somehow, she was still at home in her work clothes during work hours. Picking up the note, she skimmed the contents. It read:

_Chief, I apologize for acting on my own and taking you back home… I'll take any punishment that you deem necessary, but next time, I hope you will stay home and rest when you are not feeling well. It's probably not any good, but I made something for when you wake up. Saitou._

Putting the note back on the kitchen counter, Misaki struggled to remember what happened. Saitou, of all people, did this? She couldn't even begin to imagine! But that was exactly what the note said and he didn't lie. How bad was she that she couldn't even remember anything besides tossing and turning in bed?

Cursing her stupidity yet again for creating her own nightmare, Misaki finally pushed it out of her mind. Instead, her thoughts turned back to work. If she wasn't there… Who was in charge? She thought about calling them, but decided against it. She never planned for _this_ to happen, but right now, she needed it. Why not make the most out of it?

Smiling as she looked at the plate of food Saitou had prepared, she took it to the microwave to be reheated. Saitou… He really did have good intentions. She couldn't blame him; she must have been acting really out of it for him to take action like this. She just wished he had made more because the plate he had prepared was only going to be enough to take the edge out of her hunger.

Even so, she shrugged and tried to decide what to do with the rest of her day. She was well rested now that she had slept through most of the work day. There wasn't anything to do outside and she didn't feel comfortable leaving after Saitou had gone so far as to bring her back. He would have made excuses for her.

Giggling at the thought of Saitou bringing her home, Misaki could only shake her head in disbelief. In a way, she wished she had been awake to see it. He must have been struggling the whole time as Misaki remembered Kanami's proclamation that he had a crush on her. It must have been awkward; not that she had anything to worry about from him.

Taking the plate of food with her, she decided she would watch TV while she ate before she took a shower. Just for today, she would take the time to relax. Then starting tomorrow, she would work extra hard and make sure that no one said anything about her absence. Occasionally taking one day off was fine, but more was just unacceptable.

At the same time, she wondered if she should do anything for Saitou… Would it be too much? Was thank you good enough for him? Or was that too much? Shaking her head, that was the right thing to do. If she could thank a man like November for his help with the NJ-629 case, then she could thank a man like Saitou when he was purposely looking out for her.

Growling slightly at the reminder of that horrid man, Misaki forcibly pushed him from her mind. She would not think about him at all. She was supposed to relax on this day that she now had for herself. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple… The reminder of November brought her thoughts back to Li. What in the world was she supposed to tell him?

A blush crept across her cheeks at thought of telling him what happened at November's place. She wanted to forget it even happened! Not discuss it. Besides, what would Li think of her if she _did_ tell him? Therein lay the problem itself. She had never lied to him before and she didn't want to start. At the same time, the whole event had been so surreal; she didn't know what to tell him.

**********

**A/N:** _This was the closest he had ever been to her; even closer than in his dreams…_ Lol~ Loved that line! Poor Saitou XD Gotta give him credit that he's dependable (for the most part), even if he isn't the best looking guy around and he's 100% loyal to Misaki and the team. ^^


	28. Chapter 28

Here's more to the story! Enjoy~

**********

**Chapter 28**

"Misaki!"

She had been leaving the office when she turned at the sound of her name. Spotting who it was, Misaki flinched. She should have known it would come to this. After all, she had been the one to not only break her promise, but also purposely avoid him. Flushing bright red as Li approached her, she glanced away.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" he asked when he reached her.

"I've been busy…"

"Don't give me that."

She didn't reply, didn't even look at him and Li was hurt that she would purposely hide something from him. Even so, he realized she only did that with good reason. He just wished that she would tell him what was bothering her so they could discuss it. Instead, he had been given the cold shoulder for no reason; or at least for a reason that he didn't understand.

"Misaki, please don't lie to me," he said gently, his finger tilting her chin so she was forced to look at him.

Hearing the hurt in his voice, Misaki felt tears threaten to fall as she felt like such a horrible person. She had been hiding from him on purpose and he hadn't even done anything wrong. It was just that she was too cowardly to admit the truth to him. She had chosen to value her own comfort over their friendship.

Li watched her, heartbroken as he saw the tears pooling in her eyes. Smiling for her, he gently wiped away the tear that leaked out before pulling her close. He stroked her back in a soothing fashion, hoping to comfort her. It hadn't been his goal to put her in tears when he had approached her; he had only been looking for answers.

He felt her shudder as she struggled to control her emotions before she hugged him back and he was glad. Things were back to normal, just the way he liked them. She had promised to tell him what happened with November. Not only did she not seek him out, she had ignored his calls for three days now. To think that she might have blamed him for something…

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk and yelling at you."

Misaki giggled as she pulled away as he had been nothing of the sort. The only yelling he had done was call out her name. When she smiled up at him, he smiled back and put his arm around her shoulder. They walked together towards her car as they had a potentially long evening ahead of them.

**********

November growled, a sound that no one heard. He had been on his way to find Misaki when he had seen _that_ instead. It wasn't like he didn't know; it didn't mean he had to like it though. She had only said that he wasn't supposed to call without information. She had never said anything about seeking her out in person. Even so, the last thing he had wanted to see was her, in her boyfriend's embrace.

Now that they were walking off together, he had missed his chance. Besides, it was probably a good thing. His hand was already clenched into a fist. Violence wasn't usually part of his character, but his jealousy was overwhelming him. That was sure to win a _lot_ of brownie points with her… Decking her boyfriend for no reason…

Frustrated for a different reason than usual, he turned in his steps and headed back to his car. So much for that plan. He would just have to use their deal to his advantage by finding information for her – and fast. The more he was able to find, the more opportunities he had to seek her out and hopefully keep her away from her boyfriend.

**********

Misaki sat on her sofa with Li, not a word passing between them. They had gone out for supper first; both of them opting to eat less than usual for two reasons. One, because it was unhealthy to eat too much at such a late hour and the second because they figured they needed more time to discuss what Misaki had been avoiding.

Even as they sat together, she didn't know where to start. He had been understanding and did not press her to speak. Instead, he sat facing her, gently holding both of her hands in his. His gaze was steady as he watched her, but Misaki couldn't meet it.

"How is Yin doing?"

"She's doing well. She misses you," he answered, despite her stalling tactics.

"I would come if I had more time…"

"I know that, and so does she. Can you please just tell me what is bothering you?" he asked, gently squeezing her hands. "I've been so worried about you."

Flushing bright red as she glanced at him, she finally closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Despite all the patience that Li had, she knew she couldn't avoid this forever. Hearing that he was worried because of her actions, she felt even worse than before.

"I… Didn't really think of what time it was when I went over," Misaki whispered.

"When did you go?"

"Right after you told me…"

"You went so late at night?" Li asked in surprise. "I knew you would go as soon as you could, but why would you go then? It must have been close to ten!"

"I wasn't thinking…"

"Did he do something to you? Is that what the problem is?" Li inquired suddenly. "Why I ought to pay that man a visit!"

He would have said more, but the colour in her cheeks darkened even more and she glanced away in shame. Growling softly, he couldn't believe it! It _was_ partially her fault for going at such a late hour, to visit a man like November… Even so, Li refused to blame Misaki as she would have never thought anything of it. Only a man like November…

"H – he…" Misaki said.

"Hm? What is it?"

Pulling her hands free from his, Misaki slowly pointed at her palm and at her wrist before glancing away again. This was too embarrassing to admit, even to Li. Maybe even more so because it was Li. Fiddling with her hands in her lap, she couldn't bear looking at him. What if he thought any less of her because of what happened?

"He… K – ki… There… And almost here…" she blurted out, resting her fingers on her lips.

"He kissed you on your palm and your wrist and _almost_ on your lips?!"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Misaki slowly nodded her head. If it were possible, it felt like her cheeks were even hotter than before. She was just glad that she wasn't with Kanami as she would have teased her about it. That would have been utterly mortifying!

Unexpectedly, her eyes flashed opened when Li took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. She could only stare at him as he kissed her, exactly where November had. Snatching her hand away, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She never expected _that_ to happen when she told him.

"I'm disinfecting it for you," he murmured with a grin.

She was about to retort that he was only making it worse when she started giggling instead. As if he could sense her initial reaction, Li had pulled this innocent puppy-dog expression on her. How could she possibly stay mad at him when he was acting like that? He joined in, chuckling as he watched her, glad to know that she had relaxed.

"I'm sorry…" she finally murmured. "For ignoring you for a reason like this."

"No, don't be. I can understand. As long as that is _all_ he did; otherwise…"

"It was. I realized it wasn't such a good idea after he said it… That I would go find him so late… But by then, it was too late. I never expected him to do that."

"Of course you wouldn't," Li replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she inquired.

"Because, you don't realize how irresistible you are. It's like you played into his hands. Of course a man like him is going to take advantage."

"Hm? How do those two even go together?" she asked, blushing at his comment.

"You can try to hide it, but you can't hide it from me – your true personality. He must know how you are inside, or he wouldn't be this persistent about the matter. Of course, you have to be beautiful on the outside too – not to mention that you initially captured his attention when you were at your finest. If you put yourself in his proximity, he's going to make the most of the situation."

"That's not true… The first part I mean."

"Yes it is," Li insisted. "You are beautiful, regardless of what you might think. I remember an intoxicatingly gorgeous woman who went with me to the club… A woman who no man could keep his eyes off of…"

"That was only because of Kanami," she muttered.

"No, Kanami is good at what she does, but she cannot possibly make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. You just hide behind your glasses and prim clothes and stern exterior. Unfortunately, November has now discovered a secret that had previously only been mine."

"I… I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied, pulling her close to kiss her hair. "We'll just have to be extra careful now. I _won't_ let him take you from me."

"I didn't know I was yours," she answered with a giggle.

"Of course you are. I _am_ your boyfriend… Aren't I?"

Misaki giggled as she had to beg and plead before he even agreed to play the part. Even so, she was glad that he didn't seem to think anything of what happened between her and November. Instead, he had said that he would continue to do his part to help her. That was when she remembered the other part of the evening…

"What is it?" he asked, immediately sensing her mood change.

"I… He wouldn't stop bothering Saitou, and he keeps sticking his nose in my business… I made a deal with him…"

"What is it?"

"Since he insists on being an informant, I had to promise him a date for information, in exchange for him not bothering Saitou…" she answered reluctantly.

"Oh Misaki…"

**********

Closing the front door, a loud thud resounded through the apartment as November had punched it out of anger. The sting in his hand didn't even bother him. Growling again, he locked the front door and tossed his jacket to the side. The idea of his Misaki with the other man was enough to make him see red. She wasn't technically his _yet_, but she would be.

All he had to do was sort out his information and check the validity of it. He might meet her when he first gave it to her, but he was not going to settle for anything less than a date, and another, and another… As many as it took to make her realize that she was better off with him.

**********

Sighing softly, Misaki locked the door behind him and braced herself against it. Li had insisted on staying until the latest possible moment because of her behaviour. As a result, they had exhausted the topic of her deal with November. After that, they had watched a bit of television until she reminded him that they both still needed to work. He had finally agreed to leave after that.

The reminder of their conversation caused her to snatch her hand away from the door like it had been burnt by the contact. Despite his attempts to disinfect her, as he had called it, she still couldn't push it out of her mind completely. He had only done something about the kiss on the hand – nothing about the almost kiss by the door…

Giving her own front door a resentful glance, she made her way to her bedroom. She was starting to develop an unhealthy paranoia regarding doors and small entryways… With Li at her side, she had been able to ignore her own thoughts for a moment, but now that he was gone, her thoughts returned to her – the ones she was trying to ignore.

He thought he was helping, but somehow, she couldn't help feeling that Li had just made the situation worse. After Li's kisses, she now had something to compare to November's and she didn't like where it led her. Li's touch didn't cause any weird sensations. Even now, she could recall the tingling in her hand from November's like it had just happened moments ago…

Growling softly, she couldn't believe that she had reacted to his touch, despite knowing his true nature. Not only that, but she had stupidly agreed to exchange information for dates. She had no idea how she was going to survive them with all her inexperience – especially in comparison to all of his experience. Mentally berating herself, she shook her head vehemently. She mustn't think of it.

**********

**A/N:** Aww... Isn't Li so sweet?! hehe~ And November's uber jealous! ^^


	29. Chapter 29

Woohoo~ We're getting to the _fuuun_ stuff now~ ^__^ This is the intro to the next couple chapters!!

**********

**Chapter 29**

Misaki was sitting at her office desk when she felt her phone vibrate in her blazer pocket. Grimacing slightly, she knew exactly what that meant. Only one person text messaged her and she was surprised that it came so quickly. It was barely two weeks since their last meeting…

Glancing up at her coworkers, it was to see that they were doing their own work. When she stood up, Saitou glanced up at her and she stated that she was going to take a quick break. He nodded in reply and turned back to his work.

Making her way to the door of their office, she was torn between dashing to the ladies' room and dragging it out to take eternity. Part of her wanted to see what he said because of the implications of the message. For the most part, he was actually compliant with her wishes. The only one she couldn't get him to correct was his improper use of her given name.

At the same time, she didn't really want to read the message because she knew that it would involve meeting him at some point in the near future. For the most part, she had been able to ignore what happened between them. The memory only surfaced during the random situation, but it still lingered in the back of her mind; the fact that it wasn't completely erased bothered her.

In the bathroom, she entered a stall and locked it behind her. Hiding in the bathroom seemed like something she did a lot… Despite it, she rested her back against the door before pulling the phone from her pocket. The front screen indicated one message, something she already knew based on the vibration alert. If it were a phone call, the ringer would have gone off.

Sighing softly, she finally flipped open the phone and opened the message. There was no point in putting this off. After all, she had been the one to tell him to contact her directly. It was hardly appropriate to ignore him at this point. She could be a civilized human being and put their differences aside.

Skimming the contents, she could only sigh once more. Just as she had expected, they were going to get together… She just wondered what he had up his sleeves now. His instructions had been relatively vague. Without any options on the matter, all Misaki could do was shove the phone back into her pocket and get back to work.

**********

"You're really getting together with him?"

"Well I have to," Misaki stated, as she was sitting with Li. "That was part of the deal."

"But so quickly?"

"He's the one who contacted me. I'm surprised at how quickly it came, but who am I to question the time if he says he has information?"

"Where does he get the information from?" Li couldn't help asking. "I mean to think that he works this quickly… He couldn't be trying to trick you, could he?"

All she could do in response was shake her head as she didn't know. Even so, November had given her instructions. He already said the first time that he wouldn't waste her time. If he had been considerate of that fact the first time around, she didn't think he would change in that regards – as much as she hated to admit it.

"I don't think so," she finally answered. "As for how he finds out the information he does, I don't know. Obviously he wouldn't tell me. If he did, there would be no need to go through him and that's hardly advantageous to him given his overall goal."

"Well… Whatever you do, be careful around him," warned Li. "I won't be there or anywhere close by since I have to work. Besides, it's not like he would speak with me there… Even if I don't like the idea of you anywhere near that man."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine."

"It's never you I'm worried about, not directly," he grumbled. "It's what that no-good November is up to. It sounds like a trick to me, but it's not like I have a true say in the matter. You be extra careful and on your guard at all times, you hear me?"

"I heard you the first time," Misaki replied with a grin. "Thank you."

Li shook his head in reply since he was partially to blame for the whole scenario to begin with. He was the one who knew what a smashing success she would be after Kanami had prettied her up. If he had anyone to blame, it was only himself – for having too much fun, initially, with the idea. If he had said no all along, Kanami could hardly fault Misaki for not carrying out the plan.

"You shouldn't thank me since I'm the one who got you into this mess to begin with," Li stated as he took her hands in his. "I should be the one thanking you and apologizing as well. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here now talking about this."

"Nonsense. It's my own fault for not guarding my words, even if I was angry and upset with all the hurt and heartache Kanami had gone through. It was my own recklessness that started this and I'll take full responsibility for my own actions. Seriously, Li. I promise I'll be extra careful. You won't have a single thing to worry about. We are meeting on equal grounds, and definitely not in the middle of the night."

"Then I guess I'll have to be satisfied with your promise, especially since you won't even tell me where you're going to meet him."

Misaki grinned as he sounded melodramatic. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, but part of the instructions had stated that she wasn't allowed to tell anyone where she went. Even if she _did_ tell someone, she wasn't sure how November would find out. That didn't matter though because she was a woman of character and she kept true to her word – even for a man like him.

"Never mind him," she finally stated. "How have you been? How is Yin?"

"Easier said than done… But I've been doing well and the same goes for Yin. If she's not talking about you, she's talking about July. And if she's not talking about July, she's talking about something she did at school. To hear the cheerfulness in her voice when I get home every day is more than I could ever have asked for."

**********

"Hello?"

Sitting at home after work, Misaki had been surprised when the phone rang. Immediately, a sense of attentiveness took over as it was already afterhours. When she checked the display, she was relieved to find that it was Kanami and not another alert for a Contractor in action.

"_Hi Misaki!"_ she exclaimed cheerfully.

"What is it now?"

"_Hey! What's with the weary tone?"_

"I know you well enough to know that you're up to no good," Misaki replied.

"_It's not no good – it's called shopping! The time limit is up, as you so kindly pointed out last time. You can't say no. Let's go this weekend!"_

"I can't…" answered Misaki.

"_What? Why not? You knew I would ask the moment the restriction was over!"_

"It's not that… I already have plans this weekend…"

"_With who?"_ Kanami asked suspiciously. _"It can't be that convenient! Unless it's Li…?"_

"No, he's working. I have a meeting with an informant."

"_You are totally joking! On the weekend?"_

"I'm not joking. He was the one who set it up for the weekend," she stated.

Misaki could only inwardly sigh as she didn't mention that her informant was actually November. Kanami didn't need to know _that_ part. But it was still true. After all, that was the only way to define their relationship. Unfortunately, her friend didn't believe her – and why should she? Most informants only met under the cover of the night and on normal work days…

"_Fine… Just this once I'll believe you,"_ Kanami finally said. _"But next time… That is not even a valid excuse…"_

"You know I wouldn't lie to you."

"_I know… But still… That's so lame! Now who is going to go shopping with me?"_ she whined. _"I wanted to go with you!"_

"Only so you could purposely pester me," Misaki retorted with a grin.

"_Well… That's part of the beauty of it!"_

"Thanks a lot," grumbled Misaki.

"_Next time, for sure – no more funny business; I won't take no for an answer!"_

"Warning noted."

"_Alright, then I'll talk to you later!"_ Kanami exclaimed.

"See you."

Hanging up the phone, Misaki could only shake her head in disbelief. Why was it that everything had to happen at the same time? If it weren't enough that Li already knew about her meeting with November, Kanami had to find out as well – even if she didn't know exactly who she was going to meet. She couldn't have called the next week…

Sighing softly, she should have known. She had already surmised that Kanami would be on her case the moment three months was up. At this point, she didn't know if she should be thankful or resentful… It was a difficult choice deciding between which she would want to do more (or more accurately hate more) – meet up with November for information or go shopping with Kanami.

Sighing a second time, she pushed aside that information. It wasn't time to think about that. It wasn't like she had a choice anyways. All she could do was turn her attention back to the files in front of her as she didn't know which one November would have found information on. Either way, any information that was helpful was welcome. The faster she solved the case, the sooner it would be out of her hair; she just hoped Horai didn't push yet another one onto her shoulders after that.

**********

Humming to himself, November puttered around the apartment as he was cleaning up the place. He was in a good mood as he had fired off a quick message to Misaki regarding the time and meeting place for their get-together. There was information to relay to her. Because of it, he was able to carry out the next part of his plan.

Actually, he had discovered the information a couple days ago. He had waited because he wanted to come up with a plan of attack before forging on into the battle. After all, she was only in it for the information but there was much more at stake for him. Not only did he have to find the information first, but he had to prolong their time together.

If she didn't expect to work for her information – in a way – then it wasn't his fault. His intentions had been clear from the get-go. Even if she did forget, he would quickly remind her of that fact. He had already come up with the perfect plan. She wouldn't be able to resist...

Grinning to himself, he was behaving like a young girl in love, but he didn't care. He went to his bedroom to ransack his closet. There was still time before he had to start his plan of attack. Until then, he would pick his brains to come up with the perfect outfit. As he was pulling out suit tops and examining them, he wished there was some way to force Misaki to dress up.

Recalling that work outfit of hers... He shuddered just slightly – not that she looked bad in it, but she could look a million times better. He already knew that as she had looked jaw-droppingly stunning the first time he had met her at the club. She should dress like that more often! _Or not_, he decided, letting out a low growl as he remembered how every man present had been staring at her.

Even so, he couldn't help himself from imagining her in something more flattering and more feminine. Perhaps a dress... A long, evening gown with just the right tease of skin. Her skin was flawless and it was a shame to cover it up. It didn't take him long to think of more than one outfit that he would love to see her in. The issue there was actually getting her into even one of them...

Chuckling to himself, he was actually enjoying this. Since one plan was already formulated, he could always start on the planning for the next. Already, he knew there was going to be a second date. After all, he had waited to double check the validity of his information. It would also be a good way to spend the rest of his evening; place the finishing touches for the first date and think about ideas for the second one.

**********

**A/N:** I hope you're waiting with anticipation to see what plans November has up his sleeve! hehe~


	30. Chapter 30

A new chapter! Hope you like it~~

haha, it's ironic that most people come out to review on Li/Misaki chapters, but hopefully one (if not all) of these next few chapters will draw out some of you to comment on your thoughts! I'd love to hear what you think - speculations, hopes, desires, ideas, etc. I am known to listen to my readers and add what they want to see ^_~

Oh, and a big **GIGANTIC** thank you to everyone who has been sticking with me this far!! This project has turned into an amazing epic far beyond my initial ideas.

**********

**Chapter 30**

Standing outside of his house, Misaki grimaced as she couldn't understand what she was doing here. She knew, but part of her wanted to rebel, turn tail and run home. When she woke up this morning, a nauseating feeling overtook her as if it were a bad omen. It didn't help that he had chosen a meeting time in the late half of the morning.

Glancing at her watch, it read 10:39. She was six minutes early. Was it too much? Or was it not enough? This was November they were talking about... She couldn't tell if he would get the wrong impression if she was early, even if that was normally how she was. Eventually, she let out a long, weary sigh before she made her way to his front door.

Reluctantly, she pressed the doorbell. Some part of her wished that he had forgotten about it. Typically, if that were to happen, she would be very upset... But this was November... She really didn't want to meet him, regardless of the deal that had so-called worked out. Unfortunately, not only did he not forget, but he opened the door two seconds after she rang the bell.

"Hello Misaki," he said with a slight drawl. "Come on in."

"Hello," she grumbled in response.

He chuckled as he stepped aside, but didn't say anything else. Misaki didn't like the idea that he could see right through her; knowing that she didn't want to be here, but was forced to because of the possibility of obtaining information. She took off her shoes before she entered and she was surprised by the smell of something cooking.

"Would you like something to drink?" November asked her. "I have coffee, tea, juice... Whatever you want. The food will be ready in a minute or two."

"A beer would be good right about now," she muttered under her breath.

She glanced at her companion and realized that he had been close enough to hear her words. Thankfully, he didn't say anything, but flashed her a wide grin. He didn't say anything as he made the move to take her jacket from her and she finally sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

"I guess tea would be nice," she stated.

"Okay, right this way."

He put her jacket in the closet before guiding her to the kitchen. To her utter surprise, the counters were full. Plate after plate was sitting on the countertop and all of them looked like they were freshly cooked. Based on appearances, they didn't look completely appetizing, but the smell in the kitchen suggested otherwise.

"W – What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"I thought we should eat before we head out – brunch."

"D – Did you make _all_ of that?"

"Uh... I know, I know," November answered. "It really doesn't look that good. I guess a week of practice isn't enough to make me a decent cook, but I can vouch for the taste. It tastes a lot better than it looks."

Grinning, he picked up a fork and poked at the slightly runny plate of scrambled eggs. He went to the cabinet to grab a cup and all Misaki could do was sit down in stunned silence. Half of her brain was working in overdrive, trying to process everything he had just told her; the other half was stupefied like there was a roadblock in the way of her thinking process.

**********

"Where are we going? Didn't you say you had information for me?"

"Of course, but you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" November asked, laughing in response. "I had to work for the information, so you have to work for it too."

Misaki couldn't help rolling her eyes as he had winked at her after that. She should have known when he agreed to the deal so readily... He was going to make every meeting they had for the information a date, and she agreed to go on a date with him if it turned out to be helpful. Inwardly groaning, she couldn't believe she had fallen so easily into his trap.

So far, all she had done was eat as he had prepared enough to satisfy her hunger; something about her that she had revealed the first time they ate together. It wasn't as good as Li's cooking, not even close. But it was surprisingly edible. She thought he was the type of man to eat out and flirt with waitresses, so where did he learn to cook? In a week, no less.

_Stop it_, she reprimanded herself. _He's just trying to impress you so he can get you into his bed._

During their meal, he had chatted with her like they were best friends. He reminded her of Kanami, a lot, and she was amazed that the two of them didn't get along better. They were both fashion-conscious. He had a gentlemanly charm, something she hated to admit, that Kanami adored in a man. But then again, she knew what her friend had previously thought of him... It was him who baffled her. Why waste all his time and effort on a woman like her when she didn't even like him?

Now that their meal was over, he was taking her out somewhere, except he wouldn't tell her where. It didn't help that they had to take one car, his car... She was fully dependent on him. At this rate, she could imagine herself forced to spend the entire day with him before she was even close to getting the information she wanted.

"I'm not going to kidnap you against your will," he stated when he saw that she was reluctant to get into the car. "You'll like it, I think. Well, I hope... Please?"

Sighing out loud, Misaki finally entered the car and closed the door behind herself before putting on her seatbelt. She reminded herself of who he was and what his true purpose was. She was not going to let herself get comfortable around him. _Have your guard up_, she heard Li's voice saying in her head. She wished he was here so she could retort that it was easier said than done.

He started the car and Misaki was surprised when she heard Hikaru Utada playing. It seemed at odds with his personality. He didn't seem like the type to listen to ballads and sappy love songs... It wasn't even her type of music, but she recognized her voice from being forced to listen to the radio when she was with Kanami.

"So where are we going?" she asked again.

"Somewhere pretty."

**********

Finally, they arrived at their destination and Misaki was surprised to see that it was Hibiya Park. Recalling his words of somewhere pretty, she had to agree. At the same time, she had to wonder why they were here in the first place. He parked in the underground parking and they made their way back to the surface.

It was a sunny day out and she was glad to be out and about. The park was quiet and peaceful, something she didn't get enough of during the week. She stretched her arms above her head, not noticing that November was watching her. He waited until she was ready before they continued on their way, pleased to see that she was unknowingly smiling.

He didn't actually have a destination in mind, but he wanted to bring her somewhere comfortable. They could walk around together or sit on a bench somewhere while enjoying the view. There were also restaurants and stores if they got hungry. Based on first impressions, he was satisfied with his decision on where to go.

"Have you ever been here before?" November asked.

"Mm... Probably, but probably not recently. You?"

"No, can't say that I have. Shall we just wander around?"

"Sure," she replied.

They wandered in silence, neither of them taking the lead. Sometimes Misaki would follow the path he chose, or vice versa. They each had their own thoughts to occupy them. For November, he was wondering what Misaki thought of the day so far. He had been courteous and considerate the whole time, not that he wasn't usually. At the same time, besides the smile after arriving, none of her actions indicated that she was warming up to him.

For Misaki, her thoughts were on Yin as the poor girl must have been depressed about the fact that she hadn't visited for a couple weeks already. This would have been a beautiful place to take her when they had the chance. She could enjoy the beautiful scenery and the fresh air.

Casually glancing at his companion, November wondered what she was thinking about. She was smiling again, but he didn't think it had anything to do with him. In fact, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, completely oblivious to the fact that he was right next to her... A little disappointed by that knowledge he reprimanded himself as their day was still not over.

If it weren't for her, he didn't think he would ever come to a place like this. After all, he preferred the beauty of women over the beauty of nature. But now, the only beauty of a woman that interested him was the one right next to him. He glanced at her again and frowned slightly. She wasn't dressed in her work gear, but she might as well have been... She had on a simple blue long-sleeved shirt under her jacket, paired with a casual pair of slacks.

A warm cardigan over a flowing day dress would have suited her more along with a simple up-do, instead of the typical ponytail. He wished she would wear something other than blue. There were so many colors out there, and he was sure most of them would look good on her as well. Sighing softly, he had to be satisfied that she wasn't dressed for work.

**********

"So when are you going to give me the information?" Misaki asked.

"I told you, when we go home."

"Get back to your house, you mean," she corrected him.

"Yes, get back to my house."

"Can't we go now?"

"Only when I'm done with you for," he answered lightly.

She frowned at him and November inwardly sighed. He hated how she had to correct him on every little thing he said. He rather liked the idea of them going home together... Of course she had to be difficult and correct him on that since it was technically not her home. _Yet_, he added to himself. She opened her mouth to retort when he noticed a cyclist heading towards them quite quickly on his bicycle.

Before she could say another word, Misaki felt his hand lightly touch her waist before she was tugged towards him. Stunned by the sudden impact, she finally turned her head in surprise as she heard a loud whirling sound go by. Blushing as she hadn't noticed the cyclist approaching them, he had pulled her out of harm's way... But now it was awkward as she was pressed closely against his chest...

To her surprise, he didn't hold her there, something she thought he would have taken advantage of. Instead, his hand lightly brushed down her back like he was brushing away dirt before he gently steadied her on her own feet. He smiled at her before he glanced away, a frown on his face as he stared in the direction the cyclist had gone.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked, turning his attention back to her.

"I... I think so..."

"That's good. People really need to watch where they're going. Even if they're allowed to cycle here, which I don't mind, they should at least be careful when they see other people on the same path. He was going much too fast for a park like this."

"Ah... Thanks," Misaki murmured in reply.

"Not a problem. Are you hungry?"

"A little..."

"Why don't we go eat an early supper before we call it a day then?" November inquired.

"Ah... Sure."

He grinned at her before he led the way towards the nearest restaurant. Since she was following behind him, Misaki swallowed as she felt like her heart had leapt up into her throat. What was wrong with her? Anyone would have done that if they were in the same situation – except she couldn't shake off the slight tingle that had gone down her spine from the light motion of his hand down her back.


	31. Chapter 31

You didn't think the date was done yet, did you? This has got to be the sweetest chapter so far, at least in my opinion ^^

BTW, thank you for all the lovely reviews! I really appreciate it.

**********

**Chapter 31**

"Did you enjoy the food?"

"Yes," Misaki answered.

"Well, I suppose that was pretty obvious... Considering you ate five plates and everyone was staring at you."

Unexpectedly, she felt herself blush in response as he had been the main perpetrator of that comment. Since he had finished eating before she had, he had leisurely sipped on a glass of wine while he watched her. He didn't push her to finish faster. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it. But considering what happened right before supper, she couldn't help feeling flustered. He wasn't behaving how she expected him to!

"Would you like to wander around a little bit more?" he asked as they stepped out of the restaurant. "I'm sure the atmosphere is a little different in the evening."

"I uh... Okay..."

He grinned at her and she had to tell herself to breathe properly. Nothing would come from this. That was just the way he was and she was behaving like a silly goose over something that anyone would have done – man or woman. There was no need to be flustered by it. It wasn't like he had purposely orchestrated for the cyclist to come speeding towards them. It had been a legitimate move on his part. Besides, it wasn't like he had tried to feel her up in the process.

To her surprise, his hand rested lightly at the small of her back to push her forward when she didn't move. It felt like a sizzle had went from his hand into her back and she jolted from the unexpected contact. She stepped a few paces away before she turned around to look at him.

"W – What was that for?" she demanded.

"You weren't moving, so I thought I would help you. You are the one who was complaining about not going home yet."

Feeling another blush creep up her cheeks, Misaki turned around so her back was towards him again and marched away. Why did he have to say it that way? It wasn't like she had done that on purpose, yet the way he said it made it seem like she had wanted to stay in his company. That was _not_ the case at all.

Eventually, she heard his soft footsteps behind her and he matched her pace as they wandered away from the restaurant. _Just for a little bit longer_, she told herself. Then, she would get him to take her back to his place immediately.

Beside her, he started talking about the different trees and plants that they had seen. He must have done his homework on the place since he said it was his first time here. She closed her eyes as she walked, breathing in deeply. For a city like Tokyo, the air was so different inside a park than it was out on the streets. She should come to a place like this more often; it was really relaxing.

Opening her eyes, she looked around and was surprised that the atmosphere was different based on time of day. The sun had started to set and the colors were subtle in evening, as compared to the vibrant brightness during the day. The stars started twinkling as the indigo sky started to take over and mute out the blues, pinks and oranges.

Spying a bridge ahead of them, Misaki smiled gently and rushed towards it. There was a small creek that trickled through underneath it. It seemed so quaint considering that she could see the tall tower buildings in the far distance beyond the border of trees. In a busy place like Tokyo, they still had such quiet and natural places like this.

When she darted off, November smiled and watched as she peeked over the side of the bridge. His speech was cut off midway, but it wasn't like he was actually talking about anything important. Instead, he was content to know that she was enjoying herself. She might try to dismiss that idea, but he knew otherwise.

Her expression had changed to one of relaxed amazement as she watched the water flow along. Again, as he had many times today, he wondered what she was thinking about. After all, despite all the time they had spent together, he still did most of the talking. She had opened up to converse with him, but she alternated between being cooperative and clamming up.

"What are you looking at?" he asked lightly when he joined her.

"Just the water as it flows along," she answered.

She continued to peer at the water and it seemed like she was content to stay there. Rather than disturbing her moment, November turned his back to the bridge and leaned against it. He gazed up at the sky in the other direction. The moment was surprisingly intimate as there was no one else around, only the presence of nature to keep them company. They couldn't even hear the sounds of traffic as they were still well within the park complex.

"Are you going to give me the information when we get back to your house?" Misaki finally asked, breaking the moment.

"Misaki..."

"What?" she asked, coming to stand in front of him.

He was tempted to pull her close and kiss her, just to shut her up, but he didn't. After all, they were still not at that point. If he did do that, she would break all ties with him, information be damned. That would be the end of it.

Instead, he sighed softly and pulled out a box from his pocket. Misaki watched him with narrowed eyes, trying to gauge what it was that he was up to. He didn't do anything though; nothing out of the ordinary. He poured something into his hand and she watched him pop it into his mouth. It was the third time she had seen him do that all day.

He put it in his pocket and gazed at something in the distance beyond her, ignoring her question. Right when she was about to ask him again, he pushed away from the bridge and the movement startled her. Before the words could come out of her mouth, she felt his hand gently take hold of hers and he pulled her towards him as he resettled himself against the bridge.

Her first instinct told her to pull away, but surprisingly, her body didn't listen. She stumbled those couple steps forward until she was standing a foot away from him. He smiled at her, despite the harsh tone of voice she had used. His thumb was lightly stroking the back of her hand and Misaki's eyes closed slightly. It was to keep the shudders at bay, so she told herself.

"Misaki," he finally said.

Her eyes opened and she looked at him. Normally, she would have retorted that he didn't have permission to use her name, but something in his voice... His expression had changed ever so slightly. He was still smiling, a small smile compared to usual, but there was something else there... She couldn't tell what it was.

"W – What is it?" she eventually stammered out.

"I will give you what you want. But can't you let me enjoy this for just a moment?"

"Enjoy what?" she asked stupidly.

"This, us, being together. I get to have you to myself for a day. It's really rare and I worked hard to earn this moment," he replied softly.

"I..."

She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks and she didn't know what she was supposed to say in response. Not to mention, he was still holding her hand. Instead of answering, a visible shudder overcame her body – partially from the settling chill of evening and from her unwanted response towards him. He dropped her hand and Misaki glanced up at him.

"It's getting cold," he stated as he had stripped off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

"I – I'm fine," she complained.

"You wouldn't shudder like that if you were."

"I..."

"Misaki," he said.

The words on her lips died as she heard the way her name sounded on his lips. It was already intimate that he continually used her given name, but it sounded downright seductive when he said it that way... Knowing that he wouldn't take back his jacket, Misaki turned to walk away. Unfortunately, she didn't get far as November had stopped her with his hand on her shoulder and turned her around again.

"W – What?"

He leaned forwards and Misaki flinched, thinking he was finally trying to make his move. She stared at him in horror, not sure how to get out of this one. He must have seen her response because he pulled back ever so slightly, without releasing her. He seemed to be searching for something since his eyes never left hers.

"I would never do _anything_ to hurt you," he said softly when he saw her glance away.

He reached his hand up to her cheek and Misaki froze thinking he would actually carry through with it this time. To her surprise, he brushed away a stray hair before he held the back of his fingers to her cheek. He made a gentle stroking motion, but didn't actually touch her.

This moment was too intimately surreal and she had to think of something to get herself out of it... But she didn't know what she could possibly do at this point. It was like that moment in his apartment where her body betrayed her. All she had in her arsenal was her mouth, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"W – What are those things you keep eating?"

Instead of sighing in reply like she thought he would, he only smiled and released his hold on her. He went to lean back against the bridge again. He didn't reply immediately and Misaki squirmed as he continued to watch her.

"I would have offered them to you, but you don't need them," he finally answered.

"W – What are they?"

"Ah... Nicotine lozenges."

"Nicotine lozenges? Why would you need that?" she asked incredulously.

"Why? I think that's pretty obvious – because you don't like the smell of smoke."

"So...?"

"Because, then you won't let me kiss you," he replied with a grin.

"What?!"

He couldn't help himself as he laughed out loud, the expression of shock on her face too much. He had started on them the day after the incident in his apartment. After all, she was never going to enjoy his kisses if she could smell the lingering scent of a cigarette from a few hours prior. The only solution was to quit.

Misaki stared at him like he had grown a second head, wondering if he was lying. He was laughing at her, and she didn't like it one bit. People did not normally discuss things like kisses in public, especially with people they were not seeing. Since he was too busy clutching his stomach, Misaki figured he was joking. Reaching into his pocket, she pulled out the package and was shocked even further to find that he really wasn't joking...

"Come on," he eventually managed to say. "I'll take you home and give you the package."

"Okay..."

She was thankful that she had shoved the package back into his pocket before he caught her snooping around. But now that she knew that he wasn't actually lying, she couldn't believe that he would actually go so far for a reason like that... After all, what other possible explanation was there?

**********

"Here's your jacket back," Misaki stated as she was standing on his front steps.

"You can come in, you know."

"Then you'll find some excuse to keep me longer."

"Ah, how well you know me!" he exclaimed, laughing in response. "Fine, wait right here."

Misaki froze as he took the jacket from her hands, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin. He didn't notice as he had already turned around to get the package he spoke about. The ride back had been surprisingly calm, as calm as she could be, knowing that he was purposely quitting smoking – just because of her.

She managed to put her arms down before he returned. Her brain was in such a mess as she didn't know what to make of her day with him. From the first meal to their last conversation, she was learning something new about him every hour... But the problem was that she really didn't want to learn any of these things!

"Here, it's right here," he said, returning with a manila envelope.

"Thanks..."

"No, thank you. I'll be looking forward to our next date!"

"W – What? You're that certain?" she couldn't help asking.

"Of course."

**********

**A/N:** This is where the details fall apart... If November is supposed to be human, he wouldn't be smoking in the first place, so he wouldn't have to quit... But we can all forget about that right?? Please? XD


	32. Chapter 32

A new chapter :) Please let me know if you catch any mistakes. I've been lazy and haven't proof read this.

**********

**Chapter 32**

Misaki sighed as she rolled around on her bed, not sure what she was supposed to do. She had checked the package of information that November had given her. It seemed to be some personal details on TG-395. The amount of detail that it contained... It wasn't the first time she had wondered how he got his hands on this information. He must have obtained it first hand, because it didn't seem necessary for an informant to go through another informant before reaching them...

She had left it on her kitchen counter after going through it. It would take some time, but she would have to find an alternative means to confirm his data. Yet, she was reminded of his last words to her that he was absolutely certain of the validity. After all, she said she agreed to a date only if his information was useful.

This in turn reminded her of the whole time she spent with him... Something she really didn't want to remember, but couldn't block from her mind. He went from learning to cook for her, to saving her from a speeding cyclist, to quitting smoking... And those were only the more major of the events of the day...

Remembering what happened last time from the intimate moment at his apartment, Misaki was surprised she didn't have a heart attack already. She was not made to handle stuff like this! She was meant to chase down criminals and lock them away in jail. Groaning as she kept remembering how he looked while he laughed, Misaki buried her face her pillow. It wasn't one of his feigned smiles, but a genuine hearty laugh...

"No, no, no, no!" she wailed. "I don't want to remember this!!"

**********

"What's with you? You look absolutely haggard," Kanami stated.

Glaring at her friend, Misaki did not need the reminder. She had been fighting the November demon all weekend and it was turning into a losing battle. It did not help the situation, knowing that she had to go see Kanami on her first day back at work. She had to confirm November's data somehow...

"Don't even talk about it."

"Why? Are you getting enough rest? Do you need to go shopping? Is that what it is?" Kanami teased.

"I wish I did," Misaki muttered under her breath as she pulled out her package.

"What's that?"

"The newest information I was able to get."

"Oh! From your informant. How did that go anyways?" Kanami asked.

"It's all in here. There's quite a bit of information on TG-395. I need confirmation on it."

"Let's go inside and talk."

Nodding in response, Misaki followed her friend into her office. She had given out the task assignments to her team before coming here. Luckily, her angry expression had quelled any chance for them to question her regarding her appearance. Unfortunately, the scare tactics did not work on her best friend.

"An informant really met you on a Saturday," Kanami commented in awe. "I seriously thought you were joking..."

"Yes well... This one doesn't joke around."

"And look at all this information..."

"I know," Misaki replied. "I've been through it a dozen times and I'm amazed each time at how detailed it is."

"I'll look into it for you."

Kanami placed the envelope on her desk and turned to grin at her. Misaki shrank back into her seat, not liking the expression on her face. She was up to no good – again. That was the only time she had that kind of expression on her face.

"What now?" Misaki asked slowly.

"Well... I knew you wouldn't lie about something like this. But you can't _possibly_ have another meeting with your informant so quickly!"

"Ugh... Fine..."

"Yes! I knew you would agree!" Kanami exclaimed happily.

"Because you would pester me until I was deaf if I didn't..."

"So true," she replied with a grin. "What did you do after you met with your informant anyways? You could have called me and we could have gone out for drinks or something."

To her surprise, her friend started blushing and Kanami stared at her before she quickly grabbed the seat next to her. There was no possible explanation for a response like that! Unless she had secretly met up with Li-kun, despite telling her that he was working...

"Spill! Tell me now!" demanded Kanami. "You met up with Li-kun and did something naughty, didn't you? That's why you didn't want me to come along!"

"Kanami!"

"What? What else could it be?"

"I am not like that at all," Misaki retorted, embarrassed that her friend could even suggest such a thing.

"Pfft... Don't give me that! He's one heck of a hottie. I don't know how you keep your hands off of him!"

"Kanami!!"

"Geez... Don't be such a spoilsport, Misaki. You only live once in your life. You're too young to always be thinking about work. Or... Don't tell me. You're actually quietly happy that you've attracted a man like Saitou," Kanami stated.

"There is nothing wrong with Saitou," Misaki said, coming to his defence.

"Nothing wrong with him?! I could name more than a handful of things that are wrong with him."

"Not everyone is that superficial."

"Ah ha! So it _is_ Saitou then!"

"No it's not!" Misaki complained, disbelieving that her friend would even think that for a second.

"Then it has to be Li-kun! There's no other person to cause such a reaction! Besides, I didn't really think for a second that you were into Saitou... He's too much of a wimp to be a match for you."

Misaki narrowed her eyes at her friend, wondering how she was going to get out of this one. Her traitorous body had responded to the reminder of her date with November. That was the only thing she could call it, even if she had only participated to get the information he promised.

"I have to go now," she stated, getting up from her chair.

"I think not!"

Before she could reach the door, Kanami had grabbed her by the wrist. She was spun around to face her friend and Misaki flinched at the predatory gaze in her eyes. Backing away from Kanami, Misaki tried to pull free, but her friend's grip was surprisingly strong. She followed her step for step and her mind protested as it was reminded of November's apartment.

"You will tell me and you will tell me right now," Kanami commanded as she had her trapped by the wall. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me."

"I don't have time for this..."

"Then stop being so stubborn and just tell me already!"

"It's not what you're thinking it is," Misaki complained. "It's nothing."

"You – blushing? That is _not_ nothing."

"I was not blushing."

"Just tell me already," Kanami stated.

Misaki closed her eyes as Kanami was creeping her out; her actions reminded her too much of November as her face loomed closer and closer. She tried to tug free of her friend again, but her grip hadn't loosened in the slightest.

"November," she finally muttered as she could feel Kanami's face just inches away from hers.

"What?!"

Knowing her friend would be shocked, she tugged free from her grip and gently pushed her away. She put up no resistance as she stumbled back a few steps. Her face matched how she must have looked after learning about November quitting smoking... Even so, she knew this was only a momentary win as Kanami was going to be on her case even more now...

"Have to go!" Misaki exclaimed before she rushed out of the room.

**********

Twenty minutes later, Kanami was still staring at the closed door of her office. Misaki had rushed out of it earlier after blurting out that she was seeing November... She thought she hated the man! So how did things come to this? She didn't even know what to make of it! Not to mention, Misaki's response...

Finally closing her mouth, Kanami shook her head to shake off the initial reaction. Her Misaki was seeing a man like November? She felt her legs give way beneath her as she collapsed into a puddle on the floor. Misaki and November? November and Misaki? The two just didn't go together! The only reason Misaki had attempted in the first place was because of her...

**********

"So how did things go?"

Misaki sighed as she was getting sick of this – having to relay every bit of information to everyone... Mostly because of her own traitorous responses. After blurting out November's name to Kanami, there was no way her friend would stop until she got all the answers... And already, she was supposed to tell everything to Li.

"Things went fine."

"Really? He didn't try anything?" Li asked, his eyes assessing her.

"Well... Not really," she answered, knowing she couldn't hide her blush.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing! Really!"

"Then why are you blushing? So cutely at that," he added.

"Ugh... Li!"

"What?" he asked with a chuckle. "You do look cute. I just don't like the fact that November is the one who put it there."

"He didn't do anything. We ate at his place and then he took me to Hibiya Park."

"That's it?"

"Yah. We had supper there and then he gave me the package after he drove me back to his place," Misaki answered, trying to keep her heartbeat normal.

"Somehow... I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because this is November we're talking about," Li retorted. "Besides, you wouldn't be blushing if he didn't do _something_."

"He saved me from a passing cyclist..."

"That's it? That's all that has you in a fluster?" Li inquired.

"Well no..."

"Then what is it?"

Misaki stared at her friend and sighed loudly. Seriously, between the three of them, she didn't know who the worst was – November, Kanami or Li. At work, she might always be the one in control but never with any of them. November continued to fluster her nerves, a feeling she hated and couldn't control. Kanami could pester her to no end until she told her what she wanted to know. And Li, he was much too intuitive to hide anything from. Resigned to her fate of telling him everything, Misaki sighed again.

"Um... Well," she said nervously. "We were standing on this bridge after supper when I asked him if he was going to give me the information when we got back to his place. He didn't answer, just saying my name... Eventually he pulled me close, since I was standing in front of him, and I thought he was going to kiss me..."

"Thought, so he didn't."

"No, but it seemed like he might... So I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. I asked him what he was eating since I saw him put something in his mouth a few times during the day."

"And?" Li asked, pressing her to continue.

"Well... He said they're nicotine lozenges, to help him quit smoking so he could kiss me."

"What?!"

"That was my reaction!" exclaimed Misaki. "He started laughing, so I thought he was lying, but when I checked his pocket... It really was nicotine lozenges. I was wearing his jacket since he insisted as it was getting cooler."

"Shit! Oh damn..."


	33. Chapter 33

haha, I really like this chapter ^^ Hope you do too~

**********

**Chapter 33**

Staring at the papers on her desk, Misaki couldn't concentrate. She was still troubled by her conversation with Li. He wouldn't tell her anything after his surprising outburst. He knew something, but refused to tell her what he was thinking. His expression had wavered between concern and anger, yet he stubbornly refused to comment.

Thinking back on their conversation, she couldn't think of a reason for such a verbal outburst as that. Why was it that they could always get her to talk, but she couldn't do the same when it came to them? Whatever it was that Li wasn't telling her, it really bothered her... Her only hope now was to tell Kanami, knowing that she would have to, and hope that she had some insight into what Li was thinking.

"Um... Chief?"

"What is it?" she asked, glancing up to see Kouno standing on the other side.

"Um... These are for you..."

Kouno shuddered as he felt Saitou's eyes drilling daggers into his back. After all, he had entered the office carrying a bouquet of red roses. It wasn't like he was the one to give them to her! Yet, he knew his friend would misunderstand. It didn't help matters that the chief was staring at him like he had gone insane.

"They're not from me!" he finally exclaimed, the silence getting to him.

"They're not?"

"Of cour... I mean, I was coming back when the delivery guy asked me to take them in. They're for you. I don't know anything about these!"

"Oh... Thanks..." she replied wearily, confusion evident on her face.

He quickly placed the flowers on the corner of her desk before he scrambled back to his own desk. That was nerve-wracking! He hoped he was never, ever in such a situation again. The chief glanced at him a moment longer before she turned her attention to the flowers. On the other hand, Saitou glared at him and Kouno sighed. He would make it up to him with a round of beer... That was all he could do.

Ignoring her coworkers, despite knowing that they were watching her, Misaki pulled the card from the bouquet and slowly opened it. There were only two people who would do this type of thing, one more likely than the other. But to her surprise, it was the one she had not suspected as Li apologized for his behaviour the other night.

A small smile touched her lips as she tucked the card back into its envelope. She leaned in to take in the smell of them before she refocused her attention back on her work. It was just what she needed. Whatever it was that Li didn't tell her, he did so with good reason. She trusted him. The only thing she had to question was why red roses... Even she knew the implications of receiving those flowers.

**********

"Um..."

"What is it?" Misaki asked as the office was finally quiet.

Otsuka had returned from the Astronomy Division to find a bouquet of roses on her chief's desk. As a result, she had been ecstatic at the implications. Despite all her begging and pleading, Misaki still hadn't told her who they were from. In the end, Misaki had to send her out along with Kouno and Matsumoto.

"W – Who are the flowers from?" Saitou asked nervously, as he was the only one left in the room with the chief.

She glanced up at him, a stern expression on her face and he squirmed as it was truly none of his business. But his curiosity got the better of him, especially since the others were gone now. If Kouno had been the one to give them to her... He would have throttled his partner. But knowing that they weren't, they still didn't know who they were from.

"I uh... I mean... You don't r – really have to answer..."

"Can I trust you not to say anything to the others?" Misaki asked.

"Y – Yes chief!"

She was tempted to laugh as he went so far as to salute, but she held her laughter in check. She knew how he must be feeling and decided to alleviate his curiosity. She just didn't want to do so in front of the others, hence why she sent them all out. Even he should be brave enough to ask if there was someone who was his rival.

"They're from Li-kun," she finally answered. "We kind of got into an argument the last time we met up, so he sent them as a form of apology."

"Oh..."

"Now you mustn't tell anyone else. This is _our_ little secret."

Misaki went so far as to smile and put her finger to her lips. Giggling in her mind, she watched with amusement as Saitou blushed. Instead of replying verbally, he quickly nodded his head and scrambled back to his seat before the others returned. Sighing softly, she couldn't help wondering if she was being poorly influenced by November... To tease her subordinate like that.

**********

Later that evening, Misaki was at home going through her closet for a suitable outfit to wear. Her social outing with Kanami was always a bit stressful, even though they were friends. Since Kanami was the one to come pick her up, Misaki knew that she would make her wear something presentable if she didn't get it right the first time.

Sighing softly, she wasn't good at this type of thing. Kanami always insisted that she wear something flattering and feminine – whatever _that_ meant. Unexpectedly, the thought of fashion brought November to mind as she already thought that the two of them were quite similar in some regards. Instead of being banished from his mind, like he should have been, Misaki felt herself blushing when she recalled the moment when she thought he might kiss her.

Still, she couldn't believe that he would go so far as to quit smoking – just so he could do that. It wasn't like he couldn't kiss her if he still smoked. She just wouldn't be too pleased about it. For some reason, she remembered Li's words about his character; that he wouldn't force her to do anything because his goal was to charm her.

_Damn traitorous body_, she thought to herself.

She continued to remind herself that she was only reacting this way because of her inexperience in this department. She knew it. He knew it. He was taking advantage of that fact. That was the only reason why she reacted in the way that she did. The effect of Li's touch had absolutely nothing to do with it. They were much too close for her to react the way she did to November. If she did, it would be weird.

"That's right," she said out loud. "Now to determine how much of this situation I tell Kanami..."

Staring into her closet and still drawing a blank, she pulled out a random blouse and shoved it back in after deciding she didn't like it. A get-together with a friend should be something to enjoy, not something to dread! Groaning as her mind was stuck in two worlds, she gave up on both and turned towards the bed instead.

"This is so stupid," she grumbled as she flopped down onto it. "They should just leave me be and let me get on with life how it has _always_ been!"

She grabbed her pillow and squeezed it tightly with her arms as she put her head down. Trying to avoid another mental breakdown, she turned her thoughts back to her most comfortable topic – work. Kanami had gone through the file that November had given her and had confirmed a few points. Even so, she wasn't sure how it helped them since they still had no clues on how to capture him.

Li didn't have any suggestions when she last spoke with him and that was a first. Usually he had some insight into the world of criminal Contractor behaviour. But then again, he hadn't been active and neither was he involved in any of that activity. He lived an honest lifestyle, just the way he should in the first place.

Thoughts of Li reminded her of the flowers, which in turn reminded her of the conversation that led up to that event. It didn't seem to matter what she was thinking about... In some roundabout, indirect or direct, way, her thoughts ended up returning to the issue of November. It wasn't the first time the idea lingered in her mind, but she wished someone would selectively remove him from her brain.

"Stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes. "It's all _your_ fault, November."

**********

_A tingle danced its way along her wrist and Misaki looked down at it wondering what caused such a peculiar reaction. To her utter amazement, she found a spider lingering on her skin. Despite her usual calm reactions, she squeezed her eyes shut as she was having a squeamish moment. She tried flicking her wrist to dislodge it, but the feeling was still there._

_When she finally opened her eyes, the spider was gone. But in its place, she saw someone's fingers moving in a whisper-soft fashion against her wrist. Shuddering in response, one mixed with surprising excitement and disgust, she felt her eyes drift from the fingers to the hand to the arm to the body and finally to the face of the person in front of her._

"_November!" she gasped out in shock._

_He didn't say anything, but cast an amused smile her way. She should have slapped him, but instead, she felt her cheeks flush as his attention embarrassed her. Since she had nothing to say to him, he tugged her towards him. The sudden movement startled her and she used her free arm to brace herself against his chest. _

_She should have pulled away, but she didn't. Instead, she questioned when it had become so decidedly warm. He gazed down at her, still smiling, and she felt the beat of her heart pick up a staccato rhythm. Her body temperature continued to rise, especially when he leaned in ever so slightly. All she did was stare back up at him._

_He wasn't even holding her tightly as one hand still held her wrist and the other arm was placed lightly around her lower back. A flash vision of him laughing entered her mind and it was gone just as quickly. Unexpectedly, the sound of a longing sigh escaped her lips. The feeling of excitement was starting to dissipate. _

_To this, he pulled her closer still until her arm was pinned awkwardly between them. She was forced to move it, her fingers trailing with curiosity over his chest. He grinned, showing off his even white teeth and Misaki heard herself sigh again, this time in pleasure. _

"_Misaki," he finally said, the only thing he had said to her so far._

"_W – What is it?"_

"_I would never do anything to hurt you."_

"_I..." she murmured, not sure what to say._

_He freed her hand, reaching up to gently place his palm against her cheek. Blushing in response, she slowly nuzzled her cheek against his touch. It was comforting, something that she never expected, and her embarrassment started to fade away. _

"_Misaki," he said again._

_This time, she didn't reply as the sense of excitement continued to grow – from the seductive way her name sounded on his lips and from the intense look of desire in his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in towards her. Closer and closer, his eyes never leaving hers. He suddenly stopped, his lips half an inch away from hers. When he didn't close the distance between them, her gaze drifted downward before glancing back up at him._

_She couldn't see it, but she sensed that he smiled in response. It felt like an eternity before he started moving again. The moment when they should have been kissing, her vision went black. She didn't see anything or hear anything either. _

"_Why I ought to pay that man a visit!" Li's voice boomed._

_Glancing around in surprise, her vision suddenly returned to her. She was still locked in November's embrace, but above them, Li's face of hurt materialized before her. Next to him was Yin, glancing down in displeasure. Kanami's face was on the other side of Li's, with an expression of hurt and betrayal._

"_I am so disappointed in you," Yin whispered._

_She spoke softly, but it seemed like a resounding echo to her. Flinching from the sound, she couldn't move as she was still with November. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to find any of this out of the ordinary. Instead, he flashed a smile at her and covered her ears for her._

"_Don't pay attention to what they say," he told her. _

_She stared at him and felt that excitement return to her, despite her friends' disapproval. A small smiled touched her lips before she turned her gaze back upwards. The vision of them had been so vivid moments ago, but they started to become translucent and disappear..._

"_Good-bye..."_

"N – NO!"

The sound of her own voice startled her from her sleep and Misaki sat up, a cold sheen of sweat building across her skin. Her breathing was laboured like she had run a marathon and her heart was still pounding madly in her chest.

When her breathing and heart rate had started to calm, she glanced around to find that she was in her own room. Her skin was cold because she had fallen asleep on top of her covers, her spirits low from dealing with the mental assault on three fronts. The fact that she could dream about something like that...

"Damn it!" she growled out. "I can't believe I had a kissing dream with November!!"


	34. Chapter 34

Back with more~ ^^

**********

**Chapter 34**

Misaki was sitting at her desk in disbelief. In front of her, she had two files – the information that had come from November and the other the recent information from her commander. Considering where the information had come from, she didn't know what to make of it... The layout of the documentation was different, but the information was exactly the same on almost all counts.

November's wasn't as detailed, but it was relatively detailed in comparison to the information she usually received. Not to mention that the information from Horai was top-secret, the secret of all secret, information. After all, it came from none other than the CIA...

One of the Contractors she was chasing, TG-395, was a foreign Contractor who hailed from America. He had escaped their notice a month ago. He had shown up on their radar and she had been placed in charge of capturing him... If he was able to avoid the CIA for this long, what was she as one woman supposed to do about it?

As a result of his escape, they had tracked him down a couple days ago. In response, they sent their entire file contents regarding him. Horai claimed that it was their way of helping them. Realistically, she knew what they were thinking – good riddance and good luck. Now that he was off of American soil, he was solely their problem. Her life was becoming decidedly miserable.

The door to the office opened, but she didn't bother to look up to see who it was. She wasn't sure what to do at this point as she was still thinking about the information in front of her. Comparing the two, November was missing some information that the CIA had provided, but what he did provide was exactly the same – not a hint of deviation. The only way that was possible was if he had gotten his hands on CIA information... But that was nearly impossible!

Sounds from the hallway drifted into the office and she finally glanced up, surprised that the door had been left open. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she saw Saitou loitering at the office entrance with his hands behind his back. She glanced at Kouno and Matsumoto to see that they were also staring at him. She didn't have time to deal with this.

"Saitou, what are you doing there? Come into the office already," Misaki demanded.

"But..."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

She would have said more, but he finally shuffled his way into the room as she half stood from her seat. The door closed behind him and she retook her seat. Even so, he still had his hands behind his back and she could see something peeking out from the side. Sighing softly, she really didn't have time to deal with this.

"Would you just get to work and stop hovering around like that?"

"But..."

He shuffled his way towards her and she couldn't believe he was acting like such a child. Of all days to play games, this was not the day he should have chosen. She still had to decide if this counted as viable information for her deal with November. Not to mention she still had to capture the darned Contractor.

"Well, what is it? Spit it out," she commanded, when he stood in front of her.

Saitou cringed at the sharp tone of voice she used and dutifully produced a beautiful vase of flowers from behind him. Misaki could only stare at him in disbelief as he had a telltale blush across his cheeks. First Kouno, in place of Li, and now Saitou? What in the world was going on?

"What is this for?" she managed to ask a moment later.

"I uh... Well... T – The thing is... I mean..."

"Woohoo! Way to go, Saitou!" Kouno shouted out.

This caused him to blush even harder and the words that had trouble escaping his mouth just stopped all together. He glanced away nervously as he bit his lip and placed the vase of flowers on her desk. Dumbfounded, Misaki stared at the flowers first before she finally turned back to stare at Saitou. In the back of her mind, the thought that the world was falling into chaotic ruin lingered.

"I... T – They're actually not from me," he blurted out, casting a hateful glare in Kouno's direction. "I was walking back to the office when the delivery man approached me with this beautiful vase of flowers and said that they were for you. I felt awkward for giving them to you. Oh! Not because I don't think you deserve them, but I mean... I just... It's the second time you received flowers and you never have before. And I thought that whoever sent them should have come himself... That's what I wou... I mean, so I didn't mean to cause any disruption and I was just trying to determine the best way to give them to..."

"That's enough. I get it."

"I – I just didn't want to cause any misunderstandings... But that seems to be what I did anyways," he mumbled miserably.

"Ah, well I think we have Kouno to blame for that," Misaki stated, glaring at him. "I suppose he has too much time on his hands..."

"Eh?! B – B – But! Chief!!" he wailed in complaint.

"I expect you to finish both of your reports tonight. I think you have shocked all of us with your unnecessary outbursts."

"That's not fair!"

He would have complained more, but a silencing glare from Misaki was enough to cause him to turn away in shame. Kouno turned back to his work dejected and Matsumoto wisely kept his mouth shut, even though he had been thinking the same thing. How were they supposed to know that they weren't actually from him when he was the one carrying them in?

"I uh... I have things I need to finish out on the field," Saitou blurted out when the silence became unbearable.

"Eh?! W – Wait for me!" Kouno exclaimed as his partner grabbed his stuff and dashed out of the room without him.

"I um, I also have some things I need to do," Matsumoto stated when he realized he was the only one left in the room with the chief.

"Fine, fine. I'll see you later."

When all three of them were gone, Misaki was finally given a chance to take a better look at the new bouquet of flowers on her desk. She recognized the pink roses, but wasn't sure what the other flowers were. Like Saitou had said, they were gorgeous – large pink and white flowers mixed with the pink roses and other pink, white and purple blossoms. She just didn't know who they were from or why she had received them.

Taking a quick sniff, they smelled wonderful and she was thankful for them – thinking they were from Li. She couldn't imagine why he would send something like this, but he had sent the first one. They looked expensive and she wondered why he would waste his money on something like this when they would see each other soon enough.

Pulling out the card that was attached to the vase, the first sign that she was wrong was the faintest scent of cologne that lingered behind. She knew for a fact that Li didn't wear any and she groaned as she got it wrong – again. The only other person who would do this was _him_. Why was it that November always caused trouble for both her and Saitou?

The contents of the card read, _I know what you're thinking but this does count for a date since all the information is accurate. Be ready for it. See you soon, November. _

Groaning out loud, it was almost as if he could read her mind. How did he know that she would struggle with something like this? Better yet, did he know that the CIA would be sending them information? And if so, how did he know such a thing?

**********

A couple hours later, Otsuka returned from the Astronomy Division. She burst into the room full of energy and Misaki felt like crawling back underneath the covers of her bed. This day went from dreadful to completely exhausting and miserable. Kouno and Matsumoto had informed her that they would be away the rest of the day.

Matsumoto was probably avoiding her after she had given her mandate to Kouno. As for Kouno, he was probably trying to suck up to his partner for busting out his supposed secret. Misaki felt bad for Saitou as she knew that she would never see him in that light. He was a good and proper man, but she didn't feel any attraction to him at all.

"Chief, what is that?!" Mayu asked, rushing in to stare at the vase of flowers on her desk.

"A bouquet of flowers. What does it look like?"

"But who are they from?! They're absolutely _gorgeous_!"

"I believe we've discussed this before," stated Misaki.

"That's so not fair... Why won't you tell me?"

"Because it's none of your business," she answered.

"It's not true! As a fellow female, you have to tell me. Otherwise, there's nothing exciting that happens here. I mean the rest of our team... Don't get me wrong," she said as a slight shudder had gone down her spine. "They're great to work with, but outside of the office... Please?"

"I didn't tell you last time and I'm not about to tell you now."

"Why? Chief has a secret lover?" Mayu asked slyly.

"No, I don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Misaki exclaimed, thankful that she didn't actually blush this time.

"Oh come on! You _must_ be lying!"

"Why would I lie? I think that is hardly something you should say to your superior."

"But the flowers... The pink roses symbolize perfect happiness or can mean 'please believe me' while the pink stargazer lilies symbolize wealth and prosperity, but also signify aspiration. You know, like desire and longing," explained Otsuka. "Only someone who was your lover would give you something like this! And you won't share your happiness with me!"

"Because you're wrong and I don't have a lover."

"Aww, you're no fun," she complained.

"I'm not here to have fun. Now settle down and get to work."

Grumbling in response, Mayu muttered something about the bathroom before she ran off and Misaki sighed in response. They really, really needed to stop sending flowers – both of them! She hoped this would be a one-time deal because she couldn't handle all the speculation and gossiping that it created. Not to mention that they happened to be hand delivered by one of her subordinates each time...

"Stargazer lilies, hm?" she murmured as she looked at the flowers again.

A small smile touched her lips as she recalled Otsuka's crestfallen face as she realized that she still wasn't going to speak, regardless of all her begging and pleading. Despite that, she was surprised by how knowledgeable she had been. She knew the flowers by name and even knew the meaning behind it. Misaki couldn't help feeling slightly impressed... Until she recalled exactly what she said about the flowers.

The roses represented perfect happiness or 'please believe me' while the lilies represented wealth and prosperity or aspiration... Considering who sent them, she had to choose aspiration for the meaning of the lilies since he already had wealth and prosperity. Mixing this event with the outrageous kissing dream she had, Misaki felt her face flame. All she could be thankful for was the fact that no one else was in the office at the moment.

Burying her head in her heads, she realized something else. Her blabbermouth subordinate was bound to share this latest information with the one person who she wished wouldn't find out – Kanami... She had already been pleasantly surprised by the update. Not to mention, she had said that Li's reaction could only mean one thing... Displeasure at the fact that November was actually serious.

Despite all her disbelief regarding the topic, Kanami had ensured her, like that had been a good thing, that November's attempt to quit smoking was symbolic of his intentions. When she had disputed this, Kanami had reminded her that he also stopped going to the clubs and seeing other women after she entered the picture.

That was also not factoring in his help for her work by acting as an informant and the date that they had been on. All in all, Misaki felt herself become flustered again as she was once again reminded of her friend's comments – and she should know since she had been one to hang around him before he was a 'redeemed man', as Kanami had called him. She even went so far as to say that a reformed rake made the best kind of lover... Like that was something she would even _want_.

**********

**A/N:** Teehee~ More flowers for Misaki! :) And poor Saitou... I would be super duper embarrassed if something like that were to happen to me... XD


	35. Chapter 35

Ugh... I seriously am trying not to drag this on forever... Please believe me! Lol~

**********

**Chapter 35**

"Hi Misaki!"

"Hello," she murmured as her young friend greeted her at their doorway.

"How come you're all dressed up?"

"Do I look weird?"

"No, of course not! You look really pretty, but now I'm scared to hug you. What if I wrinkle your clothes or something?" Yin asked.

"Then I would just iron it afterwards."

Smiling in response, Yin closed the distance between them and hugged her as was the custom whenever she came over to visit. Like she had alluded to, Misaki was dressed up in a sleeveless coral A-line dress that had a trimming of lace at the hem. On top of it, she was wearing a white long-sleeved cardigan shrug.

She didn't really want it since she hated dresses and skirts, but she still hadn't learned how to deal with Kanami when it came to shopping. After hearing about the situation with November, Kanami had forced her on a whirlwind shopping spree to purchase suitable clothing. What she meant by that was clothing that matched November's style which meant feminine styles of dresses and heels...

She was forced to wear her new clothes the first chance she got and it happened to be a get-together with Li and Yin. Though she wasn't even invited, Kanami had come over earlier to supervise as she got ready. It was 'practice' for her future dates with November; so she had said. To Misaki, it was more like Kanami's excuse to see her squirm and fiddle with her clothes since she hated showing off skin like this...

"It's so not fair," Yin complained, still holding on to her.

"What isn't?"

"How they work you so hard that you don't get the chance to visit. I asked Li about it, and he told me that your boss gave you extra work – just because you're the best member on the team. Everyone should do their share of work and not just give it to one person."

"I felt that way too," Misaki stated. "But someone has to catch the bad guys."

"Still..."

"Well I'm here now and we can make the most of it. How have you been doing lately? I haven't seen you for weeks now!"

"She's been pouty about the fact that you still haven't visited until now," Li answered as he joined them with a grin. "Until I told her the good news."

"Of course!" retorted Yin. "Before she would come at least once a week!"

"I tried my best, but there was too much to do."

"Which is why it isn't fair to give all the work to you..."

"Well why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable? You look beautiful, by the way," Li stated as he leaned in over Yin to give Misaki a quick peck on the cheek. "What's the occasion?"

"You don't want to know," she grumbled in response. "The name of the occasion is Kanami."

Li laughed before turning to lead them into the living room. Her friend was a force to be reckoned with. Even so, a slight wrinkle of concern touched his features as he could imagine what had caused this – especially since Misaki had miserably informed him that Kanami had cornered her to the point that she had blurted out a hint of her situation with November.

_I hope she doesn't dress up for him like this_, he thought to himself.

The two of them took a seat on the couch and he headed back to the kitchen as he was still not finished cooking. Besides, there was plenty of information that he knew Yin was dying to share with Misaki. They would be fine without him. In fact, Yin might even think that he was in the way if he hovered around too much.

**********

Misaki smiled as she had enjoyed her evening with Yin and Li. They had spent a good portion of their time eating; just because that was something she and Li did a lot of. Yin was already accustomed to that fact and she spent her time chatting while they did so. After they had finally finished, they decided to take a break from eating before they tackled dessert.

As a result, they had spent some time playing card games and board games and whatever else there was that Yin wanted to do. Eventually they had dessert before the three of them relaxed on the couch. Li sat in the middle with his arm around both of them while Yin made random comments while they watched TV.

Like always, she tried to stay up late, but she never did manage to stay up too much past her bedtime. Li had gone to put Yin in bed, leaving her in the living room. She truly did enjoy these quieter moments with some of her close friends. By quieter, she didn't necessarily mean noise wise as there was always something to talk about – especially since her visits were spread out. But here, in the comfort of their home, she didn't have to worry about work.

In the safe haven they had created, she was sheltered from the monstrosities of the world they lived in – even if just for the time that she was with them. Instead, she could relax completely and have a reason to remind herself of the important things in life. To protect her family and friends, foremost, along with the rest of the innocent population, was the main reason she did the work she did.

Li returned moments later and retook his seat. Glancing at him, Misaki flashed him a quick smile before turning her attention back to the television. There wasn't much on, but that didn't matter. What was important that they could spend some time together.

"Now that she's sleeping... How have things been with you?"

"They're fine," Misaki answered, her eyes still on the TV.

"Really? November didn't try anything?"

"No, of course not."

"He _really_ didn't try anything?" Li asked insistently.

"I haven't seen him since he gave me the information," Misaki replied, finally turning her attention towards him. "What is with this interrogation? You're almost as bad as Kanami."

"Because I have to make sure he doesn't do anything unnecessary. I wish I didn't think up the original plan," Li grumbled. "Then it wouldn't be an issue in the first place."

"What's done is done. He hasn't been bothering me."

Misaki blushed a little as she remembered the flowers. It was true as they hadn't been a bother. She was just reminded of their significance – at least according to Otsuka's analysis. Not to mention how ironic it was that Saitou had been the one to give them to her indirectly.

"What? What happened?" Li questioned, pouncing on the slightest detail.

"Nothing really..."

"You know me better than that."

"It wasn't anything bothersome. It was just that he sent me flowers," Misaki answered, "along with a card reminding me that the information counted for a second date – that's all. It just so happened that Saitou had been the unfortunate one to bring them in instead of the usual delivery guy. Kouno threw up a fuss and embarrassed him to no end. The three of them scampered off to avoid me for the rest of the day. On the other hand, Otsuka had been ecstatic, entirely convinced that I had a secret lover..."

"Because of the flowers?"

"Well yes, because it was the second time I received them in the office – first from you and then a second time from November. Not that I told her who sent them either time."

"Why would he send you flowers anyways?" Li complained. "He's up to no good, I tell you!"

"Like I said, it was to remind me that he was planning a second date."

"Did he say when?"

"No, not yet – just that the information I received was enough to count for a second date," explained Misaki. "I don't know how he does it, but some of the data he had matched up to the latest CIA data we received."

"CIA? That doesn't sound good..."

"It's not," Misaki said. "Apparently TG-395 is actually an escapee Contractor since he was first active in America. They sent us the information they had compiled on him which is essentially their way of washing their hands of the matter."

"And November was able to get his hands on their information?"

"I don't know what to think... It wasn't like he had the complete package of information that they had, but the details he did have were an exact match."

"Did it help you to catch him though?" Li asked.

"No, not yet. You should know that it's not the easiest task in the world... Can we please not talk about work or November? It's almost like you're starting to develop an obsession with him... At the first chance you get, you always ask about him," accused Misaki. "You don't ask about anything else..."

"Because..."

"No, I don't want to hear it. I mean, at this rate, I might as well tell him to go after you because you'd fall willingly into his arms."

"What?!" Li exclaimed. "I'm not into men! And even if I was, _definitely_ not November."

Misaki giggled as the shocked expression on his face was amusing. It was true. Every time they got together, he always asked about November. Considering who he was, she was sure that he could find out for himself how he was or what he was up to – if he really wanted to. Instead, he always brought it up when they were alone together. To her, it was the perfect way to spoil her good mood – she didn't want to hear about work, November or shopping.

"When are you free?" Misaki finally asked after her giggles subsided.

"I don't know yet. Why?"

"I haven't had much time to spend with you or Yin, but I'd like to try and plan something. I know the perfect place to go!"

"Where?" Li asked.

"Well... Only because he took me there, but Hibiya Park! It's really beautiful there. Yin would love it and we could even invite July along – if his parents agree. It'd be nice for her to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air. They even have restaurants there, so we don't have to worry about food. If not, we could always pack a picnic!"

"I guess that would be my task…"

"Of course," Misaki replied with a grin. "Your food is delicious! It's perfect! Please? Say you'll try to get some time off? I will too. It can be a surprise for Yin."

"Fine… If you say so," he answered, like it was the hardest thing in the world to do.

Misaki giggled again as he tried to pretend that she forced it upon him. Chuckling in response, Li tugged her close to give her a quick hug. He didn't really mean to pry, but at the same time, he did. He didn't like the fact that Misaki was brought to a blush every time she remembered that man. Even if he was changing his ways, Li did not approve of him. Even if he was redeemed, he was not good enough for Misaki.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to realize what her reactions meant. Even so, if he wasn't careful, Misaki would fall into November's trap and that would be unforgiveable. From now on, he would just have to be cautious regarding when and how he asked about the situation. There was no way in hell he would stand aside calmly while November tried to whisk her away from right under his nose.

It was a game in the beginning, but now it was personal. He was not allowed to come in between their friendship. Besides, he didn't think Yin would approve of him either. Only a man who was approved of by both him and Yin was allowed near Misaki in that regards. Her other potential suitor was not a concern since he hadn't even placed himself in that role and Li doubted he would.

Since Misaki was upset with him for asking too much, he dropped the subject. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if it would be worth it… To come out of hiding and zap the living daylights of that man… That would definitely get rid of him! Or even… It wasn't like he had to use his powers to eliminate the man since his blades didn't require any electricity to kill. November wouldn't know what hit him and that would be the end of that.


	36. Chapter 36

An early update this time around since I might not have time the rest of the week. Don't want to keep everyone waiting forever! hehe~ Especially since it's the first chapter in the next mini arc for what I _think_ most people have been waiting for... ^_~

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 36**

"What are you doing here?" Misaki complained.

"Helping you of course."

Kanami was standing on the other side of the doorway, grinning at her. Sighing loudly to indicate her displeasure, Misaki stepped away from the door and let her friend into her apartment. Here it came again – another wardrobe consultation, unnecessary as it was. It was bad enough that she had an entirely new wardrobe, thanks to Kanami's shopping spree – on her behalf.

She knew it wasn't a good thing when Kanami had been there during November's call to inform her of the newest meeting. The woman had pounced on her the second she hung up, knowing who it was by that blasted blush that seemed to take permanent residence in her cheeks whenever she thought of that man.

Again, November hadn't told her a thing. The only thing she knew was that they were meeting at his house and that it was an afternoon date. She didn't have a clue what he was planning this time around and she wasn't sure she wanted to either… It automatically meant retelling everything in gory detail to both Kanami _and_ Li.

"Now, quickly!" Kanami exclaimed. "What shall you wear for your date?"

"Anything is fine."

"Misaki! Not anything is fine! Besides, I bet you would wear a pair of sweats and a grungy t-shirt just to spite me if that was the case."

"Darn, why didn't I think of that earlier?" she replied with a grin. "It would have been a good idea. Unfortunately you had to show up unannounced at my door."

"Of course! If I didn't, you might even show up in a rice sack…"

"And I'm sure November would say I looked beautiful anyways," Misaki retorted.

"Probably… But we'd all know that he's lying."

_And he'd try to get me out of it that much quicker_, Misaki thought to herself, a tinge of blush touching her cheeks at her wayward thoughts.

Luckily, Kanami had already made her way into her bedroom to ransack her closet. Shaking her head to dispel the disturbing thoughts, she quickly made her way into her room lest Kanami holler at her again. It hadn't even been two minutes and Kanami had already pulled out half of the new clothes that she had purchased a couple weekends earlier.

"You already wore the coral dress, so that one won't do," Kanami told her. "We'll have to find something else. Besides, that's not fancy enough for an evening date with November."

"I wore it to Li's place. It's not like he would know I wore it before."

"No, no. It's good enough for a casual night at Li's place, but definitely not date-worthy."

**********

Sighing loudly to herself, Misaki sat in her car, staring at November's house as she was parked outside of it. She felt exhausted already because Kanami had made her try on everything again before she finally picked an outfit. They were getting together in the afternoon… So why did she have to dress up like she was going to a party?

Like usual, she didn't know how to put a stop to Kanami's firm insistence and eventually found herself pushed out of her own apartment in a colourful floral printed silk blouse with capped sleeves over a black form-fitting pencil skirt. Normally, she would wear her casual heels, but not this time. Along with everything else, Kanami had forced her to buy shoes and she found herself in a pair of patent red kitten heels.

The only thing that Kanami had been considerate of was the height since she hadn't been forced to buy any shoes with heels over two inches. It was a small consolation in the face of the tidy fortune she had spent in less than half a day… Going shopping with Kanami was going to make her go bankrupt one of these days.

Knowing that she was specifically going on a date, she felt entirely self-conscious. She wasn't used to dressing up and November was sure to know that. What if he thought she was trying hard to impress him? She wasn't! But he wouldn't know that… Not to mention her hair was down in loose waves since Kanami had cut up the first hair tie she had tried to grab.

Fiddling with her clothes as she made her way to the front steps, she wished she had a rice sack like Kanami had mentioned earlier. It would be easier on her nerves than this. A blush touched her cheeks as she tried to prepare herself for November's reaction. It was sure to be embarrassing.

Before she even reach the front steps, the door opened and she was startled as he materialized in front of her like she had thought him into reality. He beamed at her and she took a step back, not expecting such a reaction. His gaze was steady and she glanced away as the heat on her face increased.

"Misaki, you're here!" he exclaimed, rushing down the steps to pull her into the house. "I was waiting for you!"

"Y – You knew I was coming."

"Well, that was the deal, but I was always worried that you would change your mind anyways."

"I keep my promises," she stated with a small frown.

"I know, but a little part of me just couldn't help being worried…"

"W – What are we going to do?" she asked nervously as he seemed overexcited to see her.

"Mm… It's a secret."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because, it's supposed to be a surprise," he stated, stepping closer to her as she was in between him and the door that he was closing behind her.

Her breath caught in her throat as the scent of spicy citrus mixed with woody amber from his cologne filled her senses. He was too close for comfort as the image from her dream floated into her head. He was close enough that he only had to wrap his arms around her and she would be within his embrace…

He stepped away from her and glanced down at her with a grin. Misaki wondered if he could read the thoughts in her head. Then again, he could be amused by the rosy colour that permanently blossomed on her cheeks whenever she was in his close proximity.

She stayed frozen by the door as he stepped back even further to examine her outfit. Half closing her eyes in fear, she knew it would come to this. Anyone who knew her would do this, considering she never dressed this way. Going to meet Li and Yin in that coral dress had been the first time she dressed up in a long, long time. And to do the same, specifically for a date, with November…

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" he finally asked, reclosing the distance between them.

Again, the scent of his cologne teased her and she stupidly shook her head, not trusting her mouth. It seemed like her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. She closed her eyes fully, thinking it would be better to block the image of him from her mind.

"Not that you aren't usually, but you're exceptionally beautiful today," he answered smoothly, her eyes flashing open as his palm lightly cupped her cheek and he stroked his thumb across it.

Before she could respond, he pulled his hand away. Instead, it brushed down her arm and he wrapped his fingers around her hand. Feeling a tingle dancing down her arm and settle in her hand, she couldn't shake the feelings she felt during the dream she had – a sense of excitement and disgust mixed together.

"W – What are you doing?" she finally forced herself to ask.

Instead of responding verbally, all he did was turn his head to flash an enigmatic smile in her direction as he continued to make his way into the house. Somehow, he always managed to throw her off-kilter and she wasn't sure what she should do. Glancing at their hands together, the initial thought that she should pull away was replaced by the knowledge that she didn't actually want to.

It was a novel feeling, but not a bad one. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought it was terribly exciting that she was with November. He wasn't the type of man that any woman in her right mind should fall for, but in the end, she had had to admit that she was no match for his charisma. The fact that she always blushed around him was proof of that fact.

She was startled from her thoughts when he eventually opened a door and she didn't even realize that she had followed him up to the second floor. As she glanced inside, she pulled her feet to a grinding halt when she saw what was on the other side. Maybe her thoughts had come prematurely as it was clearly his bedroom…

"W – What? I – I'm not going in there!" she complained.

"What are you thinking?" November asked with a chuckle. "I wasn't even thinking that, though I could always accommodate if that's what you want…"

"N – No way!"

"I didn't think so," he replied playfully defeated. "It's not what you think. I just need your help."

"M – My help?"

"That's right. I can't decide which one I should wear."

"Huh?" she replied dumbly.

"My tie – I can't decide which one matches better with my suit."

While she was still in a stupefied daze, November tugged her into the bedroom before leaving her just inside the doorway. He went to the closet to pull out the only suit jacket that was inside it. Going to the mirror as he put it on, he fixed it properly before going to a dresser where he pulled out a few ties. He turned around with a grin as he waited for her to respond.

"You want _me_ to pick?" Misaki finally managed to ask.

"Yes, of course. I want to know what your opinion is. I mean, it must have taken me two hours to narrow it down to these three."

"Two hours?!"

"Yes," November replied with a chuckle. "I know it sounds silly, especially for me, but I'm always extra careful of my appearance around you."

At this Misaki rolled her eyes as he had winked at her. Even so, since this was what he seemed to want to do on their date, she made her way towards him and took the ties from him. This clearly wasn't her forte, but she would do her best… She held them up to his neck to compare and contrast when she noticed that he was wearing a formal-looking suit.

"What are we going to do?" she inquired, not the first time she asked this question.

"Well, maybe if you were a little faster in deciding on which tie is most suitable, then you'll be able to find out."

"That's not fair at all…"

November only grinned, wondering if she noticed that her lips formed a slight pout. Ah, his beautiful Misaki… She clearly had no conscious self regarding her appearance or her femininity, but that was part of her charm. She wasn't coy or coquettish. Instead, she threw herself into everything she did one hundred percent.

It still took her another ten minutes to decide despite the reminder of timing from November. After all, she didn't know anything about this sort of thing except her own personal preference. It was ten minutes that November didn't rush her. Why would he when it was ten minutes he could spend watching her as she seriously considered the decision between the three ties? All done with a cute pucker to her features like she was actually considering something serious.

"This one then, I guess…"

"Thanks," November replied, taking the one she picked.

"N – No problem…"

He grinned as she blushed in response, both from his thanks and from the fact that his fingers had brushed against her hand. Tossing the other two to the side, he watched her while he slipped the tie around his neck. It was a task that he didn't need a mirror for and it was much more fulfilling to watch Misaki.

"I uh… I'll be downstairs," she blurted out when the attention was too much.

She dashed out of the room and all she heard in response was his chuckle. When she was safely out of his sight, Misaki placed her hands to her cheeks. Something was seriously wrong with her… She just walked into his room like it was nothing. He obviously didn't stay there as the place was relatively empty beyond the furnishings. After all, she had been to his apartment before. Even so, it wasn't a good idea to be too close to him for any length of time. Her reactions were wonky.

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**A/N:** My gosh! I think if I wasn't such a hardcore Hei/Misaki fan, I could convince myself to jump ships and go for November/Misaki... XD They would be uber cute together! And if you liked this chapter, there's more like it coming! teehee~ (And yes, I am keeping everyone's requests/comments in consideration ^^ )


	37. Chapter 37

Here's to more sexy dating fun! Lol~ I can't help it. Every time I read your reviews, I get all giggly and want to see what you think of the next chapter, especially since we're still on the date XD So just this once, I'll do an extra update since I've been lazy with my other story anyways...

Enjoy! ^_~

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**Chapter 37**

"Um… How much is that one?" Misaki asked nervously.

"This one is 220,000 yen, miss."

Balking at the cost of it, Misaki had discovered that shopping took on a whole new meaning with November. Despite Kanami's approval and his initial approval, he had decided that her outfit was not suitable for the evening's events – whatever it was that he had planned. She had found out the hard way as they had set foot in Roppongi, a place she only visited if there were any Contractor incidents here.

Now she was stuck in the middle of trying on outfits – evening dresses to be exact – at the extremely expensive price of designer wear… November was calmly waiting outside like he did this all the time. So far everything she had tried on had been vetoed and it was back into the dressing room with another dress.

Staring at the dress the sales lady held up, Suzume as she had introduced herself, Misaki stared at it dubiously. The thing was much too revealing. There were no straps or anything and she had a distinct feeling it would all come tumbling down if she were actually to put it on.

"It's not as bad as you think it is," Suzume told her. "They're meant to fit perfectly. If it fits well, nothing will happen."

"If you say so…"

"I do. You'll have to take off your bra."

"What?!" Misaki exclaimed.

"It won't match with the dress. The bust area is padded, so you have nothing to worry about."

Widening her eyes as she stared at her, that was the least of her concerns. She was already clad only in her underwear in front of her and now she wanted to take _that_ off too?! Misaki had never felt so exposed in her life. Sure, Kanami might do this to her, but she was her friend and they did it in the privacy of her home – _not_ in public where there was only a thin wall between her and November who waited on the other side.

"I can hold it up while you do so if it makes you uncomfortable," Suzume suggested. "Or you could hold up the dress while I help you out of it."

"I – I can do it myself," Misaki reluctantly said.

She stepped into the dress when Suzume held it out for her by her knees and they turned so they were facing the wall instead of the mirror. After all, Suzume was a professional and she had dealt with all sorts of customers before. It was her job to put them at ease while they tried on their clothes – regardless of what their concerns might be.

She held the dress up while Misaki reached around to unclasp her bra. It dangled from her hands while Suzume did up the back. Surprisingly, there were no issues of fumbling with the zipper or anything, and Misaki quickly found herself in a stunning strapless dress. When Suzume stepped aside, Misaki turned slowly – not sure if she really wanted to see what she looked like.

Her own jaw dropped as she gazed in the mirror, not recognizing herself. A tinge of pink touched her cheeks as she recalled that November was the one waiting for her. This was way too much – especially because it was him. She felt almost naked as the fit of the bust only covered two-thirds of her chest while her shoulders and half her back were bare.

The tie of the ribbons around her waist accentuated the slimness of that feature and the rest of the dress fell loosely to the ground with pleating at the top of the waist underneath the ribbon that wrapped around completely before Suzume had tied it into a pretty bow. The only other design to the dress was something between knotting and ruffling of wide ribbon at the neckline.

The red of the dress seemed to enhance the flush in her cheeks and Misaki was thankful – for once – that her hair was down as it managed to cover her back. It was the _front_ that she was worried about. Why, if she wasn't careful, her chest could spill out of it! Not to mention that it was obvious she wasn't wearing anything underneath. There was no room to!

"Come out when you're ready," Suzume said before slipping out of the dressing room.

Nodding in response despite the fact that she was already gone, Misaki didn't think she would _ever_ be ready. This dress felt even sexier than the outfit Kanami had put her in the first night she was trying to lure November… And look what happened because of it… Then again, she had only showed her legs then, something that she was more comfortable with showing off – if she had to choose between the two. Leave it to November to pick the one thing that she was the least comfortable with.

"Is she ready?" she heard November ask on the other side.

"She is. She's just looking at herself in the mirror."

"Okay…"

Sighing softly, Misaki didn't know any way out of this one. They were both waiting for her on the other side. She could hardly dash out of here wearing their dress. Besides, she needed help getting out of it as she wasn't flexible enough to release the zipper. Slowly opening the door, she poked her head out to see that November was smiling.

She stepped out just as slowly as she opened the door, nervously awaiting the verdict. Suzume smiled at her and Misaki felt herself blush as she felt like she was on display. She didn't dare glance at November, but she was surprised that he didn't say anything. His silence was disturbing as he always knew what to say…

Eventually, she glanced at him and she felt shocked by the shock on his face. His jaw had become slack as his lips parted to form a slight O. His eyes were wide as he stared at her, making her feel like she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. It took him some moments to compose himself, but he finally shut his mouth and turned back to Suzume.

"We'll take this one," he replied emphatically.

"W – What?!" Misaki exclaimed in surprise. "Are you crazy?!"

"Um…"

"Can you give us a moment?" November asked.

"Certainly. I'll just be at the front if you need me."

"Ah, why don't you go find us some shoes – black. Two inch… No, make that three inch heels," November stated after casting a quick glance at Misaki's feet. "Oh, and also something for her shoulders – a shawl perhaps? I wouldn't want her to catch a cold."

"Very well, sir."

Suzume smiled and gave them a slight bow before she excused herself. November turned to glance at Misaki as she stared at him like he had transformed into a monster. Even so, he was determined to get it – it was exactly what he had been envisioning for her. He just didn't realize how good she would look, a stupid mistake on his part. She would look beautiful in anything.

November made his way towards her and entered the dressing room to stare at her some more. Still blushing, Misaki felt like the space in the dressing room decreased by more than half with his entrance. His gaze was downright predatory, like she would be devoured if she wasn't careful and she didn't like the feeling at all.

"You are _not_ purchasing this dress," Misaki stated to remind him of the issue at hand.

"Why not?"

"Because it is much too expensive and it doesn't suit me at all. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh, I think it suits you perfectly," November replied as he stepped closer towards her. "As for the price, it would be worth everything in my bank account, if it were actually that much which I don't think it is. You'll feel more comfortable once we find something for your shoulders."

"N – No… November, no," complained Misaki. "You can't seriously buy this when it's only for one time."

"Some things are meant to be experienced and enjoyed, Misaki. I won't take no for an answer. It's my money and how I choose to spend it is up to me. Besides, you look devilishly gorgeous in it… Can you honestly say you don't like it?"

She opened her lips to speak, but nothing came out. It was hard to say no when he was staring at her like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and possibly every planet out there, if there were others… That tingle of excitement settled in her stomach and she bit her lip as she glanced away from him.

"Please?"

Misaki gasped in response as he had lightly wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her closer, all the while still staring into her eyes. She could still smell the scent of his cologne and every little detail seemed to swirl into a mess and confuse her. He was too close and she was wearing too little… And though it wasn't something she was used to wearing, she couldn't say that she didn't like it.

The rational part of her protested as it didn't make sense for him to spend that much money. There were better things it could be used for. At the same time, part of her wanted it. It would be the only time she ever experienced something like this. She knew she looked beautiful, even without November staring at her like he was. It was the first time she had wanted to look beautiful for herself, and not because Kanami had forced it upon her.

"You know, if you take too long to agree, I might have to use drastic measures to convince you," November warned.

"W – What do you mean?"

"Mm… I don't know. Maybe act out on some of the desires this lovely dress on you stirs within me. Maybe?"

"W – What?" Misaki asked incredulously.

She didn't think he actually would, but he seemed to be enjoying this moment too much. He grinned at her as he reached up with his other hand and lightly brushed his fingers across her lips. His gaze travelled down before he looked her in the eyes again.

"Yes, I believe I just might," he drawled out. "After all, if you don't agree, this will be the only chance I get."

"W – Wha… F – Fine, I'll let you buy it!" Misaki blurted out. "J – Just let me go!"

November chuckled as he did as she asked, entirely amused by how cute she could be. He wouldn't actually kiss her, the desire he had – at least not yet. The occasion wasn't special enough as he didn't want the memory of their first kiss to be in a dressing room of some public location. Besides, she was still reluctant on some level. He was still working on it.

"Now then, shall we see if she has found some suitable shoes for you? It wouldn't do for you to have that dress dragging on the floor."

"I guess so…" she answered reluctantly as he was about to spend more money on something else she wouldn't use again.

Thinking that she was home free, Misaki celebrated too early. Though he had complied with her wishes and let her go, he didn't let her go completely. He took her hand in his before he exited from the dressing room, walking slowly so she could match his pace while holding up the hem of the dress with her other hand.

She was not going to leave his side, especially not in that outfit. Everyone else could look and take it in, but they were not going to be anywhere close to her. As a result, they walked hand in hand to find Suzume. Misaki had tried to tug free, but his grip had only tightened ever so slightly and she knew she was never going to win.

When they found her, she had managed to locate a number of shawls for her to match with her dress, along with heels that fit November's earlier criteria. Misaki glanced at them and whitened. Apparently, November had no qualms about overstepping her comfort level when it came to fashion… Even Kanami had drawn the line at two-inches, knowing that she was not accustomed to heels to begin with.

**********

**A/N:** 220000 yen is roughly around $2200 US, just so you get an idea of how much it is. I'm sure only someone like November would be that high-class when it comes to a date! ^^

hehe~ I still giggle and blush when I read these chapters and I'm the one who wrote the thing XD


	38. Chapter 38

Back with more spam! Lol~ Jk ^^ I should have posted this yesterday, but since I posted something else I decided to wait another day.

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**Chapter 38**

Misaki walked into the Ritz-Carlton with her arm looped through November's as they made their way to the front desk. She wanted to say that she didn't need his support, but she had the inkling that he purposely orchestrated it this way. The first time she had said that she didn't need his help, he had complied with her wishes by letting her walk on her own.

They didn't even make it out of the store before she stumbled and he was there ready to catch her. He grinned as she peeled herself away from his chest. When she had accused him of choosing these shoes on purpose, he had only chuckled. They proceeded to the cashier after he had carefully tucked her arm into his.

Her other clothes were carefully packed away by Suzume and they had put them into a box for her. They slipped that into a bag and November carried it for her as they walked out of the store. It was now that she realized how it all came together… November's formal suit was to match with her formal wear – something he must have planned.

As she listened with half an ear to the conversation November was having with the staff at front desk, she couldn't believe she was even in a place like this – not to mention dressed like this. She felt like she owned the place; that was how much confidence her appearance had given her. Not in the way she normally felt at work, but that she commanded presence as a woman. Of course, that opinion was strengthened with all the stares she had been receiving from strangers.

"The Ritz-Carlton Suite is on the 53rd floor. If you'll take the elevator on your farthest left, that should take you directly to the entrance of your suite."

"Thanks," November said as he took the key.

"Enjoy your stay with us. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to call us for any assistance."

"We shall do that."

November gave the man a slight nod before he led Misaki to the elevator that he had pointed out. This was too surreal and Misaki couldn't help wondering what she was doing here. This was a hotel – a very luxurious one at that – and November had just booked a suite for the night…

"W – What are we doing here?" Misaki asked nervously when they were alone together in the elevator going up.

"What? We're going to have supper."

"Eh? Here?"

"Why not?" November asked with a grin. "I bet you're hungry."

"B – But… It's expensive here!"

"I'm not concerned about that."

"Y – You should be…" answered Misaki. "I mean…"

"Sometimes, I think you worry about the silliest things. Money is made to be spent, not to be stockpiled. Life is meant to be enjoyed and right now, I enjoy it the most by finding new things to do with you on dates. It's not like I'm always going to bring you here and I bet you've never been on a fancy date before anyways."

"I…"

"No, you should only start worrying if I did this with you every day," November explained with a laugh. "I want you to enjoy yourself too and not worry about everything else. I'm sure you have enough to worry about when you're at work."

**********

Standing at the window, Misaki stared out into the city where she could see the Tokyo skyline. As promised, they had eaten supper through room service. It seemed like he was already accustomed to her eating habits as he must have ordered half the menu. It must have been a shock to the room staff as they needed more than one person to bring up their meal.

She couldn't believe it. The place was spectacular! She could see far out into the distance of the city and the bright lights twinkled back at her. The suite was spacious, even larger than her own place. At first, she had been nervous given that it was a hotel, but November hadn't tried anything on her as they explored the place together.

Since he was preoccupied in the bathroom, Misaki smiled slightly as she recalled the small speech November had given her in the elevator. She never imagined that he would be the type to give a lecture, though she supposed he was right. Life kept her busy and it was almost like she didn't know how to have fun anymore. Perhaps it was the guilty feeling that nagged at her when she tried since there were people out there suffering from the cruel and mindless things that both Contractors and humans could do to each other.

A door clicked shut in the distance and she glanced over her shoulder to see November enter the room. He smiled at her. Misaki nodded slightly in reply before turning her gaze back to the scenery in front of her. A slight hum of excitement seemed to be dwelling underneath her skin that mingled with the nervousness as she didn't know what to expect from him next.

"What are you thinking about?"

Misaki glanced up at him as he had casually put his jacket around her shoulders. Standing next to her, his gaze was also on the city before them. Not sure if she wanted to tell him what she was thinking, she gently shook her head and gazed away. It would ruin the mood if she talked about work now, even if that was how they were connected.

"The view is unbelievable, don't you think?" he asked, not pressuring to answer his earlier question. "It's beautiful in this distant and surreal way."

"This far away and with how much of the city we can see, it makes you realize just how tiny you are as one person."

"True. I suppose you would think of how insignificant you are, but at the same time, I think it's something to be thankful for and amazed at."

"How so?" Misaki inquired, wondering what he was thinking.

"I don't think there are many other cities like ours in the world; none that I've seen. Despite everything you've seen at work, I'm sure there must be good memories along with the bad ones. That I can even bring you to a place like this… It's a testimony to how fortunate I am."

November turned to glance at her and Misaki felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. It shouldn't really come as a surprise, but she didn't expect him to be so eloquent when it came to more serious-natured conversations. After all, he was the one who chose to show his superficial side to the world – at least with everyone else, but her.

"That reminds me," she said, hoping he didn't do anything untoward since she wasn't mentally prepared to ward him off. "I should thank you for the lovely evening, even if um… Not everything went according to my plan."

"It did according to mine," he answered with a chuckle as she had glanced down at the outrageously expensive, yet breath-taking dress she was wearing. "But you're welcome. Did you want to stay here a little longer or try out their fancy couches?"

"I think I'll stay here for a bit longer."

"I'll get you something to drink. What do you want?"

"Oh, that's fine," Misaki replied. "I don't need anything."

Her eyes widened in surprise as he smiled and took a step closer towards her. Even so, she didn't feel threatened. She reciprocated the smile, all the while wondering what he was going to do next. He reached out for her, placing his hands on her shoulders. But instead of tugging her close, he brushed his hands down the sleeves of the jacket he had placed there.

"N – November?" she asked softly.

"Hm?"

"W – What are you doing?"

"Nothing really," he replied lightly. "I was just thinking it was such a shame to cover you up like this, but I don't want you to catch a cold."

"Oh…"

"The shawl was hardly enough to keep you warm, but it all needs to match. Here, let me help you," November stated.

"Help me with what?" she asked in confusion.

He stepped away from her and walked around so that her back was towards him. His fingers lightly brushed across her bare shoulders as he pulled away the jacket, taking the thin shawl with it. He tossed the shawl to the side before instructing her to put out her arms. When she complied, he slipped the sleeves of the jacket over her arms before coming back around to face her.

"You'll be warmer this way," he informed her as he bent down to do up the buttons for her.

"I… Thanks," she murmured.

"Not a problem. Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Then I'll let you enjoy the scenery for a while longer. Just let me know when you're ready to leave. I'll watch some TV while I wait," said November.

"L – Leave?"

"Go home… Unless you rather stay here with me all night?"

"N – No! Of course not!" Misaki exclaimed as a bright flush touched her cheeks.

"I'm a little hurt," he answered with a chuckle. "But at the same time, I expected this. You can change back into your own clothes at my place since I don't think you can drive with those shoes on. Let me know when you're ready."

He casually brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek before he sauntered off. Misaki turned to watch him go and he grinned at her before he partially closed the door to the bedroom he had entered. There was a 40-inch flat screen TV inside and she wondered what he would watch for a brief second before she sighed softly.

She was not used to this at all. Sometimes, he was being playful and others, quite serious. She never knew what to expect from him when he easily switched between the two without any warning. Her cheeks were still warm from the embarrassed reaction she had when she stupidly asked what he meant by leaving.

Finding her hands from within his jacket, Misaki stepped towards the window and placed one hand against the glass. It felt so good. The coolness of it was a welcomed feeling in comparison to the heat she was feeling. Sighing softly, she pressed her cheek against it and closed her eyes.

Now that November was away from her, she had some time to sort out what exactly happened. There had been so much… It seemed like November was a genius when it came to toying with her. He used his sweet gestures to lure her into compromising situations. Then there had been that electrifying moment in the dressing room when they discuss the dress… But he hadn't actually done too much – at least nothing that she could get angry about.

The whole hotel experience was beyond her imagination and again, he didn't try anything here either, despite what she might think. All in all, she could imagine the polar reactions she was going to get; Kanami would be ecstatic and envious at the same time while Li would probably freak out on her… Just because that seemed to be the latest reaction he had to everything November related.

**********

"Misaki?" November asked quietly.

He had finished watching a complete news program and she still hadn't come to find him. A little concerned, he had exited the bedroom to find her. He didn't expect her to run away, especially because of the dress – not to mention that she didn't have a reliable form of transportation with her. He found her exactly where he had left her, standing in front of the window.

She seemed to be lost in thought and November smiled to himself. The thought that a true luxury would be returning home to find her waiting for him entered his mind. Or knowing how she was, to pick her up each night so they could return home together. He was careful not to startle her as he made his way to her side.

"Misaki," he murmured softly, placing his arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"N – November! W – What?"

"Did I startle you?"

"Of course," she exclaimed, trying to escape his embrace as she could feel his heat permeating through the jacket and into her back. "I… Let me go."

"Only if you tell me what you were thinking about."

"November…"

"Please?" he asked, relishing the feel of holding her close.

"N – No… My thoughts are personal things that I don't want to share with you."

"Not even a little bit? You mean I can't convince you to share them with me?"

"Of course not," she retorted.

"Well you're no fun," he answered with a long weary sigh as he pulled away from her as she had wished.

"What did you want?" she inquired, surprised he had given up so easily.

"Are you sure that's something you want to know?"

"Well you must have wanted something if you came out to find me…"

"There are lots of things I want," November replied with a grin. "Like let's see… To hold you in my arms like I was doing a second ago; or to kiss you; go on dates with you…"

"I – I didn't mean like that!" protested Misaki as she felt herself blushing at his words.

"But that was what you asked…"

"I meant right now," she answered, disbelieving that he would feign innocence.

"Those are things I want right now… Are you sure you won't let me indulge in at least one of them? I'll even let you pick…"

"That is not what I meant at all and you know it! You're just trying to provoke me on purpose!"

"Maybe, because I love how cute you look when I put a healthy blush in your beautiful cheeks," he answered with a chuckle. "I came to find you because you didn't come to find me. I thought you would have wanted to go home by now."

"Oh…" she murmured, thoroughly embarrassed by how easily he talked about his intentions – probably because he understood full well the type of effect it on her. "I… I lost track of time. Were you in a hurry to get home?"

"Only if it means I get to keep you with me forever."

Misaki groaned as she couldn't believe he made something so corny sound so good. He laughed in response to her reply and she could only shake her head in response. Somehow or another, she really needed to learn to watch her words around him. At least, for things that might come across with a dual meaning since he always chose the meaning that suited him best.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Avoiding my comment I see," he teased. "But very well. Your wish is my command."

"If only that were actually true…"

**********

**A/N:** Lol~ I hope no one was wishing for them to kiss... You'll have to wait some more... teehee~ It is coming though! And NOT at the very, very end. Promise ^^


	39. Chapter 39

I suppose everyone has had enough of my teasing when it comes to their dates XD

Back to something exciting in a different aspect. Some action! Since that is one part of DtB that I enjoyed (among many) ^^

* * *

**Chapter 39**

Carefully and quietly making her way to the main entrance of the warehouse, Misaki sighed softly when she spotted the open doorway. That was the first sign that something was wrong, or right in her case. She had gone on another date with November for information on where TG-395 might be active next. Considering the past dates she had been on with him, that one had been relatively normal as they had met for dessert at a quaint French cafe.

The atmosphere had been relaxing. The cakes and coffee had been delicious. Even the company had been enjoyable, as much as she hated to admit it. For once, November had behaved like a normal human being should. He had regaled her with stories from his youth and she could see that he wasn't much different now than he was then. Perhaps wealthier and older, but he still had the same playful and mischievous nature. If anything, he had probably gained a world of experience in the charismatic department.

Unfortunately, after the pleasantries, she had been forced to face Li... That had not gone over well at all. He didn't freak out on her, but she could sense it. Despite his usual control over his emotions, she could feel his anger simmering underneath the surface. It actually frightened her a little. She wasn't sure what he was thinking because he wouldn't tell her, regardless of all the begging and pleading.

She even went so far as to feign tears - attempt it anyways. It hadn't gotten her what she wanted, but in the end, it had lightened up his mood. How could it not when she must have looked completely ridiculous trying to make tears come out of her eyes? Honestly, that must be a woman's greatest weapon, one that she was not in possession of. She didn't understand how females could just will tears to appear. Of course Kanami would be a master at using that technique...

Sighing again, Misaki quickly shook her head to dispel her thoughts. It wasn't the time for fanciful thinking. She was on duty with a dangerous Contractor on the loose. If she wasn't careful, she could be his next victim. Even with a tenacious spirit such as hers, she had been disgusted and disturbed by the images that had documented TG-395's activities. Saitou and Kouno had regurgitated their lunch, Mayu had passed out from the gruesomeness and Matsumoto had to take the rest of the day off after seeing them.

Given his highly volatile nature, Misaki didn't see any way around this situation but to capture him dead or alive. Even Horai had given her the green light to do bodily harm if it was necessary - _whatever it took to stop him_ were his exact words. After that, he had stated that his capture was of top priority and to involve the entire team.

After receiving November's information, she had put the rest of the team on alert, but she would be the one to go in and check it out first. If the information was correct, she would alert them. Hopefully she would be able to preoccupy him long enough to wait for backup to arrive. Otherwise, they were back on the chase...

With her gun ready and her cell phone conveniently in her front pocket, she finally made her way in. Half the lights were on, thankfully, so she could somewhat see where she was going. Her senses were attentive for any small detail that might help her locate him. They had documentation on his activities, but nothing regarding the man himself. Even the CIA hadn't been able to capture him in action.

Forced to use her powers of rational thinking, she figured he was here for a personal mission. Though he was originally active in America, he had purposely made his way to Japan. In some cases, she could see Contractors trying to escape because they were about to be caught. But in TG-395's case, it couldn't be the reason. The CIA wasn't even close to capturing him, especially when the expanse of their country was so large.

Neither was he the type to be working for anyone. He was uncontrollable and at the moment, they couldn't determine a pattern to his work. It looked exactly like he was killing random people as the CIA confirmed them that the majority of his victims were unrelated in any shape or form - not even as distant cousins five generations back. Only two of them had been related as they were sisters, killed in their own homes with one in the mid-west and the other on the east coast.

Her nerves starting to get to her with the silence, Misaki stopped to take in a deep breath of air. She wished she didn't look at those images, but at the same time, she was glad she did. At least this way, she would be prepared for the worst. Instead of blindly trying to take him on, she now knew that she was facing the most heinous type of Contractor she had faced to date - a psychopathic one with a convenient (for him) power.

Just as she started to move, she heard the sound of metal hitting metal. Considering how silent it had been moments earlier, it seemed like her target didn't realize that she was there. He wasn't even trying to cover up his actions. The clanking sound continued and Misaki quickly pressed her back against one of the large metal crates.

_Why doesn't he just pass through and grab what he wants?_ she asked herself.

Not waiting for another chance, she quickly pulled out her phone and fired off a text message to Saitou. He could handle the rest. She didn't have time to inform everyone. First, she had to determine if he was the target - though she already knew based on gut feeling. Though the man wasn't using his powers, she would have known earlier through Kanami, she could sense the killing intent in the air.

Taking in another deep breath of air, Misaki pushed herself away from the crate and moved in closer towards TG-395. She wasn't familiar with the layout of the warehouse, hoping she didn't give away her position. If she was lucky, she would capture him tonight. If not, at least she would be given a chance to see what it was that he was after. If they knew that much, they could use it against him.

The fact that he was still hammering away was a bonus for her. She might make the slightest bit of noise, but it should be covered up by the sound of his banging. She passed one crate and another. Based on the sound, she was only three more crate spaces away from him...

Just as she was about to pass to the next crate, he suddenly stopped and Misaki stiffened as she held back her breath. It wasn't possible that he had heard her, was it? Biting her lip, she waited nervously to see what happened next. Even with the crate behind her, she wasn't feeling very safe.

A bit of mumbling replaced the banging sound before it started up again. Slowly releasing the breath of air she had been holding in, Misaki's shoulders sagged. This was the most scared she had ever been in a long, long time. Any false move and he would hear her. Not only that, but he could come after her from any direction. She still wasn't completely sure how she could stop him.

She let him continue for a moment before she continued to sneak her way closer toward him. When she was finally at the last crate that separated them, she took a quick glance at her watch. Her heartbeat started to increase as adrenaline kicked into her system. Despite the feeling of eternity passing, it had actually only been seven minutes. It would take longer before the others arrived...

Peeking around the crate with her gun held at the ready, she estimated that there was at least a hundred feet in between them. His powers didn't lend him extra speed, so he could only charge towards her at the normal rate of a human man. She went back in to hiding as he turned to the side, giving her a brief profile view.

Closing her eyes, Misaki ingrained the details of his features into her mind - at least what she could make out. Tall, over six feet; short cropped hair, dark brown in colour; muscular build of an athlete; pale skin typical of Caucasians... She peeked out a second time hoping to see if she could catch any distinguishing features as the only thing that could potentially give him away now was his height.

She was treated to the view of his back as he had turned to the crate lock that he had been hammering away at earlier. Watching from the distance, Misaki shuddered as she could sense the amount of raw power he had - even without his Contractor abilities. He could easily squeeze the life out of her, yet he chose to kill using the most gruesome of methods.

A ping seemed to echo throughout the warehouse as something snapped and Misaki flinched. She didn't have time to be standing still. Whatever it was that he was after, he was already that much closer to it. She had to stop him somehow, regardless of the fact that Saitou had yet to arrive.

She took her gun off of safety and marched a couple feet closer towards him. He in turn spun around, surprised to see someone standing behind him. Even so, he didn't flinch as he recognized the gun she was holding. In fact, he smirked and Misaki felt an internal alarm go off inside of her. He was dangerous and she was no match for him. They both knew it and she had the distinct feeling that she had just been pegged as his next victim.

"Put your hands up in the air! You are under arrest!" she shouted at him, hoping he understood Japanese.

He didn't. He started walking towards her, his eyes giving her the once over. At least he liked what he saw, the grin on his face widening. Misaki watched, feeling helpless as he slowly sauntered towards her. If she tried to shoot him, he would just use his powers and she would still be trapped. Running away was the opposite of her goal, though she wasn't sure how she could possibly catch him if she was dead first.

"Put your hands up in the air!" she repeated, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Tsk. Now what brings such a pretty lady to my area of town?" he asked in perfect Japanese. "It's not nice to wave around something so dangerous."

"Stay where you are," Misaki answered, not believing his act for one minute.

"And if I choose not to?"

"I..."

"You don't seriously think you can hurt me with that thing, do you?" he inquired with a grin. "Now if you'll just stay where you are, then I won't have to hurt you."

Misaki bit her lip as she wasn't sure what she should do. Like he had alluded to, she knew she couldn't actually capture him with a gun alone - not when she was alone. At the same time, she couldn't let him waltz into that crate and take whatever it was that he had been looking for. Eventually, she reluctantly lowered her weapon to show him that she wasn't going to try anything.

"That a girl," he replied, approaching her.

When he stopped a couple feet away from her, Misaki flinched, seeing that he was about to reach out and touch her. He laughed, a sound of enjoyment, and she couldn't help wondering if he was empowered by the feeling of fear he instilled in people. His expression was congenial, but it was his eyes that scared her. They were a dark green colour, bordering on black. But unlike the warmth in Li's eyes, his was filled will calm, cool arrogance.

"I won't hurt you. Yet," he added as he lightly stroked his fingers across her forehead.

Trapped on the spot, Misaki felt her blood freeze as he played with her hair. His fingers wormed their way into her hair, pulling strands free from the ponytail. He took great pleasure in letting the lengths of it brush across his hand before he twirled the ends of it around his finger.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Just as he was leaning in towards her, someone called out to them and Misaki released a sigh of relief when his attention was distracted. She quickly tugged her hair free of his grasp and stepped away from him. Attempting to ready her weapon again, TG-395 flashed a warning glare in her direction before he stalked away from her and towards her saviour. When she finally glanced towards who it was, she felt her heart stop.

_November_...

There was no way TG-395 would go easy on him. He had only been toying with her, knowing that she had been terrified of him despite coming here. Before she could give a warning to November, she saw TG-395 highlight in blue and she cringed. She would never catch up to him at this rate!


	40. Chapter 40

hehe, now to find out what happens to November :)

**

* * *

Chapter 40**

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

November arrived just in time to see that Contractor going after Misaki. He felt his blood boil at the idea that she was in danger and called out to them. _No one_ was allowed to touch her; no one but him. He glanced towards Misaki to see that she was fine before turning his attention to the Contractor, only to find him charging towards him while his entire body was highlighted in blue and his eyes glowed an eerie red colour.

"How sweet," he drawled out. "The prince in shining armour comes for the sweet princess. I guess you wanted to go first."

"W - What?" November managed to get out.

The man continued to come at him and November's brain froze. He had never actually faced a Contractor before. He had only come to check up on Misaki. Instinct had kicked in when he saw her in trouble, but now that the danger was upon him, he didn't know what to do.

Eventually, November's brain registered that the man was going to punch him in the gut. Survival mode kicked in and he tensed, but to his surprise, the man's attack never connected. Instead, he felt something clamp onto his neck. Glancing at him, TG-395 had sank his teeth into his flesh, biting as hard as he could.

"AHHH!"

When TG-395 released him, November fell to his knees, pain searing up and down his body. TG-395 only grinned at him before turning back to Misaki. She saw what he did though she couldn't act and she watched helplessly, the gun shaking in her hand. Her fingers clenched and she pulled the trigger despite knowing that it would do nothing.

"Tsk tsk. Until next time, my sweet," TG-395 stated as the bullet went through him.

Just like that, he disappeared as he walked through the building wall; the only thing remaining was his maniacal laughter. Misaki had no idea where he would show up next. Shuddering in response, she dropped her arm and quickly rushed towards November, concerned that TG-395 had another victim to add to his growing list.

Before she reached November, she saw a blur of black go by and her feet stopped running when her mind registered that it was Li. What in the world was he doing here? Thinking he had come to help them, Misaki was surprised when he charged at November and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out as Li slammed his fist into November's face.

"What the hell?!" November shouted as he stared at the face of the man who attacked him.

"Shut up," Li demanded.

Li attacked with a second punch, but November managed to block it and break free of his grasp at the same time. Even so, Li didn't stop as he came at him with hits and kicks and punches; whatever he could manage to get in. In response, November felt exactly the same way and retaliated in a similar fashion.

Faster of the two, Li charged at November and slammed his shoulders into his chest. He wasn't given a chance to avoid his attack, forcing him to take him on as the younger man grabbed him around the waist. Knowing what came next, November lifted his elbow and slammed it down into Li's back before he could be slammed into the metal crate behind him. He was released and November punched at Li before he could recover completely.

His knuckles only grazed his cheek and November growled slightly. They both stopped to shake off the pain before they glared at each other again. They both shouted and rushed at each other. Li attacked with his left and November his right, except they both jumped back at the same time as they saw the other one's coming.

Charging with a second punch, Li was stopped as November blocked it with his arm. Quickly, he grabbed Li's arm in attempt to throw him, but he was stopped by a kick to the rib and he was forced to let go. It stung, but nothing felt broken. Besides, he wasn't going to go down. The other one was...

"Stop it!!"

They both heard her, but neither of them listened as they were at each other's throats again. Li rushed at him swing his fist, but November was ready for it. He grabbed his arm and used his momentum against him as he brought up his knee to connect with his abdomen. Shaking him off, Li didn't flinch and came at him again.

The two of them continued to fight, the situation quickly turning into a street brawl as it seemed like anything was permissible. All she could do was stare on in stunned silence as Misaki couldn't believe that the two of them would duke it out, right here of all places. Neither of them showed any inclination of stopping and finally, something inside of her snapped.

"Stop it right now!" she screamed, giving in to the urge to stomp her foot. "Stop it right now before I put a bullet through both of your heads and claim it as collateral damage!!"

Both of them heard her this time and stopped to turn their attention towards her. November's hand was pulling at Li's hair while his hands were wrapped around November's neck. When they weren't quick to release each other, Misaki stomped her foot a second time and waved her gun at them. She marched towards them and they quickly released each other.

"What is _wrong_ with you people?" she shouted, lowering her gun. "Have you forgotten where you are?!"

"But Misa..."

"Don't touch me!" she yelled, slapping away their hands. "I've seen two year olds behave better than you!! Neither of you should even _be_ here in the first place!! Now you better get the hell out of here before Saitou and the others show up!!"

She glared at both of them before she quickly turned around, disbelieving that tears would well up in her eyes. She had been that angry... And she was supposed to be on duty. Not only had TG-395 escaped, but she had bear witness to such childish antics from both Li and November...

"Mis..."

"I said get lost," she replied between gritted teeth. "NOW!"

She marched away from them, not waiting to see what they did, forcing both of them to tuck their tails between their legs and retreat. If they were found here, the situation would be even worse for Misaki. Frustrated beyond belief, Misaki pulled off her glasses and angrily wiped at the tears that had welled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed...

When she finally turned around, she was relieved to see that both of them had scampered off. If either of them was still around, she wasn't sure what she would have done... Good timing too, as she could hear the sirens approaching the area. Saitou would come rushing in any moment with Kouno quickly on his heel.

Putting her weapon back on safety, she tucked the gun into the back of her pants before she approached the crate that TG-395 had been after. Whatever was in it, it would have to be placed under police custody. Not only that, given the size of it, they would have to find a place large enough and still find security to keep an eye on it. He was sure to come after it again.

"Chief!" she heard Saitou yelling two minutes later. "Chief!"

"I'm here!" she replied. "He escaped!"

She waited just outside of the crate and saw her subordinate come huffing and puffing as they had to run in past all the other crates in the area. Right behind him were Kouno and Matsumoto. They looked around cautiously and she could understand their concern.

"He's already gone," Misaki stated, waving them over.

"W - What? How?"

"Let's not talk about that now. We need to take this crate into our custody."

"What is it?" Kouno asked.

"I have no idea, but he's after this. We can examine it after we secure it."

"Right. I'll have the others come in and secure the area," replied Saitou. "We'll have to call the company and inform them of the latest events."

"Thanks... Excuse me," Misaki stated as her phone was vibrating in her pocket for the fifth time.

The others nodded and went to work. She turned her back on them, pulling out her phone. Already, she knew who it was. She hadn't been given a chance to answer it, considering everything that had happened since TG-395 had activated his powers. Even now, she was shocked by Li and November's behaviour.

"Hi Kanami."

_"What took so long? TG-395 was active! Or..."_

"Yes, I know. I was with him just moments ago. I didn't exactly have time to answer," Misaki informed her.

_"Where is he now?"_

"I have no idea... He escaped. Saitou and the others just arrived on scene. We were too late it seems."

_"So now what?"_ Kanami inquired.

"I managed to catch him in the act of breaking one of the locks. We're securing the crate right now."

_"Okay. Be careful."_

"I know. I'll talk to you later," answered Misaki.

She hung up the phone and turned back to the crate with a weary sigh. Saitou had gone back out to direct the others on where to go. Matsumoto was doing a check on the crate to see if there was anything special about it and Kouno was on the phone trying to contact the company representatives. Sighing to herself, it was going to be a _long_ night...

* * *

"Ouch... Bastard," November muttered to himself as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He was going to have a shiner in the morning and he winced as his side still hurt from the kick that had connected. Misaki was livid and he couldn't blame her. Even so, it wasn't entirely his fault as the other man had been the one to attack him first. Not only that, but the muscles on his neck were tender from TG-395's attack. Another bruise was forming there around the teeth impressions that had been left on his skin.

"Damn it... What the hell was that?" he asked when he remembered the way that Contractor had glowed.

It was creepy as hell and he couldn't believe that Misaki faced these situations on a regular basis. If it were up to him, he would lock _her_ up. That way, he didn't have to worry about her safety. Then again, she would hate him for it as he already knew that she did it for the safety of everyone else. She was the type of person who had compassion for Contractors...

"I hope he feels just as miserable as I do," November finally stated, his thoughts returning to his rival.

* * *

"What happened to you?"

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Li asked as Yin had greeted him upon his return.

"I couldn't sleep. You look terrible."

"I'm fine. Now go back to bed."

"If you say so," she replied with a look of disbelief.

Even so, she turned and headed back to her room. When she was gone, Li headed into the kitchen and pulled the freezer door open. He had gone to the warehouse to keep an eye on Misaki, just in case. He never expected to see the other man there. He was there as backup, but when he saw November... He had just snapped. Everything about that man was a hindrance and he didn't like it one bit that he was always around Misaki.

Already, they had been on three dates and each time, Misaki seemed to soften up towards him a little more. The dreadful part was that he didn't know how to make it stop. He didn't want to share her at all and he definitely didn't want to share her with a man like November. Someone like him did not deserve her at all. But of course, if it eventually came to it, Misaki wouldn't think like that... After all, they were friends to begin with and she had done nothing about Ikeda-kun. She was just like that which was what made her special in the first place.

Growling to himself, he pulled out the tray of ice and cracked it before he went to grab a plastic bag to put it in. He had figured he would have the upper hand considering that he had attacked first. Even so, November had held his own against him, even connecting with a solid right to his jaw. Shifting his jaw around, Li was lucky he didn't lose any teeth.

* * *

**A/N:** Mwahaha~ How was that Dear4Life? I didn't trick you! It was just that the other chapter was a build-up to their fight scene ^_~

hehe, they fight but there's no clear winner! Which is what I think would happen if they were fighting without powers. November is no wimp, regardless of our preferences for Li... XD

Anyways! Now that it's out of the way, that's one request down and two more to go :)


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"Are you meeting up with someone?"

Misaki turned around in surprise as she was just about to press the buzzer on the intercom. Smiling slightly, she saw an older lady approaching her with keys in her hand. The other lady returned the smile and Misaki waited for her to reach the front door before she spoke.

"Yes, I was just about to ring the bell."

"Just let me open the door and you'll be inside in no time."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Misaki asked. "I mean, I don't live here..."

"It's fine. It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. There we go," she answered, finally pulling the door open. "Come on in."

"Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome. Well, I'm going to go grab my mail."

Misaki nodded in reply as she watched the other lady walk off. When she was out of sight, she headed towards the elevators. It came moments after she pressed the up button and she walked in with a sigh. The door closed behind her and she pressed the button before she leaned back wearily against the elevator wall.

She was exhausted as it had been a long couple days. It had taken them well into the morning to get the crate secured. After that, she had gone home for a couple hours of sleep before she had to return to the office. Horai wanted a report immediately, outlining everything that had happened.

Then, after she had finally finished her report, she had gone to see Li. From there, he had been treated to an earful as Misaki couldn't believe that he had attacked November, especially after he had been attacked by TG-395. Poor Yin had witnessed her outburst and she finally had to stop when she had been on the verge of tears, _again_. This in turn led to another earful, but this time from Yin as she lectured Li about the fact that he was such a horrible person for putting Misaki in tears.

Smiling slightly to herself, she remembered how subdued he had been. Yin had refused to go to bed until she supervised their makeup session. In fact, she had even insisted that he cook for her, despite the fact that it was already well into the evening.

Since she had already visited Li, it was November's turn. She felt guilty. Not only had he been injured by TG-395, but Li had attacked him right after that. Hopefully, he was okay as she knew what TG-395 was capable of. November would have said something to her if he was feeling unwell... At least, she hoped he would have. It was already disturbing enough, witnessing what TG-395 was capable of. She didn't think she could handle it if the victim was someone she knew.

Honestly, she wanted to check on him earlier, but it had to wait. She couldn't admit to anyone else that he had been there. Between finishing all the paperwork and renewing their efforts to find TG-395, she had been tired. Horai hadn't been impressed that he had managed to escape. There just hadn't been enough time to speak to both Li and November on the same day.

* * *

November was about to grab another pack of ice when there was a knock on his door. Surprised by it since he wasn't expecting anyone, he changed directions and headed to his front door. Not bothering to check who it was, he opened the door and was shocked to see Misaki standing in front of him. What was she doing here? Based on their last encounter, he thought that she would be furious with him.

"Misaki!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," she replied as she stepped into his apartment. "You look horrible."

"Yes well..."

Inwardly groaning, part of him wished she didn't come. He knew what he looked like. He hadn't even dared to go outside for the last couple days. His right eye was completely black and blue. His side still ached when he wasn't careful. All in all, it was quite painful to do anything. As a result, he swore that he would get even with the other man... Just not any time soon - not until after he healed completely.

"What are you really doing here?" he asked when he became uncomfortable from the fact that she was staring at him. "Shouldn't you be with _him_ right now?"

"Ah well, I already checked on Li," she stated as she headed for his kitchen. "I have to say, both of you look just as terrible. Even so..."

November followed her into the kitchen to find her raiding his freezer. She pulled out the tray of ice and started rummaging around in the drawers. Sighing softly, he went to pull out the box of plastic bags and handed it to her. He didn't know what to make of this surprise visit. Based on everything that happened, he figured this would be the last place that she would want to be. How did she get in anyways? It wasn't like she had buzzed him, but rather showed up very unannounced.

"How did you get in?"

"I was just about to ring when one of your neighbours kindly let me go in with her," answered Misaki as she was throwing ice into a bag. "I felt bad since she doesn't know me, but she insisted."

"I see..."

"Sit," she said, pointing to his couch.

Raising an eyebrow in response, November followed her directions and made his way to the sofa. When he sat down, it was to see that she had gone to the bathroom to grab a towel to wrap around the ice. She returned with it and stopped in front of him. When he made the move to take it from her, she ignored his hand and gently pressed the towel to his temple.

"How are you feeling? Do you feel weird...?" Misaki asked softly.

"I've been better; I can tell you that much. I think I'm feeling pretty normal given the circumstances."

"Sorry," she mumbled in response.

"It's not your fault. It's your boyfriend's fault... But don't worry, I'll make sure I pay him back triple-fold for what he did to me."

A tinge of pink touched her cheeks as he gently put his hand over the one she had by his temple. She tried to tug her hand free, but his tightened his grip ever so slightly. Blushing even harder, she glanced away as he was staring at her intently with his good eye.

"I um... I should go now," she muttered. "I see that you're fine."

"Did you really think I would let you go that easily?"

The sound of a squeak escaped her lips when he tugged her towards him and she practically fell into his lap. When she scrambled to get off of him, he quickly grabbed her by the waist and settled her next to him. She tried to pull free, but he was holding onto her hand and she didn't get very far.

"Misaki," he said softly.

"W - What?"

"Thanks for coming by. I thought you were mad at me."

"O - Of course I am," she retorted. "You showed up unannounced and almost got yourself killed! As if I don't have enough work to do as is!"

She quickly turned her head away, immediately feeling ashamed of herself as that wasn't what she wanted to say. After all, he had been the one who had saved her. She couldn't even begin to imagine what might have happened to her if he hadn't shown up when he did. He was the one who saved her, and she was taking out her frustrations on him.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I... You were the one who helped me in the first place."

"Mm mm. You must have been terrified. I know I was. I'm just so glad that you're safe," November stated with a small smile.

Misaki turned to look at him as he gently took her hand between both of his. His gaze was steady and she didn't sense any insincerity in his words. She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know what as nothing came out. Closing her mouth, she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion overcome her. It didn't help that November was gently stroking his thumb across the back of her hand.

"I should really go."

"Don't," November said, noticing how pale she looked. "You're tired. At least let me get you something to drink before you leave."

"Okay..."

November smiled as she leaned back against the couch and he slowly let go of her hand, letting his fingers linger before he left. She didn't even respond by blushing, an indication of how exhausted she was. He couldn't imagine that it had been easy for her these last couple days as TG-395 had escaped. That was probably the closest they had been to capturing him, and thanks to him and her boyfriend, they had messed it up for her.

He went to the kitchen to grab her a glass of water. As he turned to gaze into the living room, it was to find that she had closed her eyes. Even though this was another unexpected visit from her, he was pleased. She hadn't protested too much and had even made the first move, in some sense. Knowing her, she thought nothing of it again, but she was at least thinking of him - coming to check on him when she wasn't obligated to.

"Misaki," he whispered when he returned to her side. "Drink something."

Struggling to open her eyes, it took her a few moments before she sat up again and took the glass of water from him. He watched carefully as she slowly sipped at it before pressing it back into his hands. Turning to the side, he placed it on the floor next to the couch before turning back to her. Again, she had leaned back into the couch.

"Come on. You need to get some rest. You can stay here for the night."

"No, no," she protested. "I'll be fine in a little bit. Don't mind me."

"How can I not when I have a beautiful woman falling asleep on my couch?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"I don't believe you."

She muttered something in response, but he couldn't make out what she said. Grinning in response, November sat back on the couch as he took her hand in his again. She turned to glance at him before she yawned and closed her eyes once more. It didn't take long before she was fast asleep.

"Sleep well, my beautiful Misaki," he murmured as he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.

As he extracted his hand from hers, she didn't stir and he gently placed her hand in her lap before he went to grab an extra blanket from the closet. For now, he would let her stay where he could keep an eye on her. If she was still asleep, which he imagined she would be, he would move her to the bedroom and let her rest where it was more comfortable.

* * *

Two hours later, November finally turned off his computer and watched with a smile as Misaki was still fast asleep on his couch. She had shifted slightly in her sleep, but that was about it. Her expression was relaxed and he hoped she was having sweet dreams. Knowing her, a sweet dream probably had something to do with food. Chuckling to himself, he went to the kitchen to put his empty cup in the sink.

He cleaned up in the kitchen before he returned to her side. Carefully taking a seat next to her, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He thought it would be a month before she would even agree to see him. Not only had it not taken that long, she had been the one to seek him out. It was touching to know that she was concerned about him, even if it was only because of what happened. That was more than he could say at the beginning when she didn't even want to breathe the same air as him.

Gently, he touched his fingers to her beloved face. If only everyday could be like this moment... Even so, he had made a lot of progress from where he had started out. He didn't even know when it had happened, but somewhere along the journey he had found himself head over heels in love with the woman in front of him. He would do anything and everything he could to help her.

Watching her a little longer, he eventually made his way to his bedroom to pull back the covers. She would feel better resting there. All he could hope was that she didn't panic when morning came around. Whatever the case, it wasn't like he would do anything to her while she was vulnerable. It wouldn't mean anything if that were the case.

When he slipped his arms underneath her, she sighed softly and he waited until she resettled herself. She turned her face towards his chest and for the first time in his life, he felt like one of those awkward and gangly youths from movies. He could feel her breath against his skin. He couldn't believe that a hint of a blush touched his cheeks as he imagined what a disaster it would be if she actually woke up right about now.

Walking extra slowly, he made his way across the apartment and into his bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed and he let out the breath of air he had been holding in. She didn't seem to notice anything. In fact, she immediately stretched out her legs and rolled onto her side as she continued to slumber peacefully.

Again, a sense of amazement overcame him. How precious and special she had become to him. He still didn't know how to convince her that she was better off with him, but he wasn't going to give up. No matter what anyone else thought of him, only her opinion of him mattered.

"Sleep well," he murmured as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before leaving the room.


	42. Chapter 42

Please let me know if you spot any mistakes!

**

* * *

Chapter 42**

Stretching as she woke up, Misaki yawned and opened her eyes to find herself in a foreign environment. Sitting up with a start, she glanced around, trying to determine where she actually was. Spotting the familiar suit jacket tossed across the armchair in the room, she quickly pulled up the covers to glance down at herself.

_Thank goodness,_ she thought to herself when she saw that her own clothes were still on.

Slowly getting out of bed, she padded softly across the room towards the closed door. It was well oiled and did not make a sound as she opened it. Peeking around, she didn't see November anywhere. Tiptoeing further into the living room, she finally found him fast asleep on the couch. He had a blanket with him that had half fallen off sometime during the night.

Careful not to wake him, she tiptoed her way to the bathroom and closed the door when she was safely inside. Glancing at her appearance in the mirror, she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. Even though nothing had happened between them, the implications of staying over were not lost on her. In her own defence, she had been extra tired after everything she had been through... She just hoped he didn't see more into it than there was.

She turned on the cold water tap until she had a small trickle of water. Pulling off her glasses, she bent forward to collect water in her hands before splashing it on her face. That felt so much better. It would be a small reconciliation as she didn't have enough time to go home and change before making her way to work... If no one else, at least Otsuka was going to be on her case regarding a secret lover, _again_.

When she was finished in the bathroom, she took a quick glance at her watch and cringed. She had slept in! Knowing November, it wasn't like he would bother to set an alarm clock for her. He probably didn't even own one... Sleeping and waking at whatever hour he fancied...

As she made her way into the living room to gather her things, she couldn't help herself from stopping and watching as he slumbered on, oblivious to her presence. She left her purse on the table where he had put it and quietly made her way to the couch instead. He would catch a cold and it was the right thing to do, considering he had given up his bed for her sake.

She picked up the end of the blanket on the floor and gently covered his shoulders with it. Staying to watch him for a few moments longer, she finally glanced at her watch again and cringed. Already, she was late. This wasn't the time to act on silly desire and stare at a grown man sleeping.

"Did you really think I would let you go so easily?" November asked sleepily as he latched onto her hand when she turned to leave.

"November! Weren't you sleeping?"

"I was, until I heard you in the bathroom."

Without letting her go, he sat up on the couch and rubbed at his eyes with his free hand. She didn't speak, only looking at him. November grinned as she didn't try to pull away. In fact, she looked extra cute with her eyes wide, a tinge of blush on her cheeks at getting caught for picking up the blanket.

"Wha?" she exclaimed as he suddenly tugged on her arm, pulling her into him.

"Good morning to you too. I take it you slept well," he commented as he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"I - I slept fine..."

Misaki blushed as she pressed her hand against his chest, her mind in a state of disbelief that she could be in a position such as this so early in the morning. If she had known better, she wouldn't have come to find him so early... At least, not until she had gotten more rest. But she pushed aside those thoughts as she knew she had come at the appropriate time. She would have felt guilty and worried at the same time if she didn't check on him.

"I - I need to go to work," she stated when he didn't let her go.

"I know you do, but you still need to eat. Besides, you should really take a day off if you passed out on my couch not even an hour after you arrived," November replied with a chuckle. "Not that I was complaining or anything like that."

"That..."

She would have said more, but his actions stopped the words in her mouth as he gazed into her eyes with a soft expression on his face. Gently, he put his hand to her cheek and caressed his thumb across it. Her heart thumped madly in her chest as she wondered what he was thinking about.

"How about I make you breakfast before you leave?" November asked quietly. "You're already late so I'm sure it wouldn't make that big of a difference now. Besides, they can't always depend on you when you're only one person. You need to be fair to yourself and to everyone else."

"E - Everyone else?"

She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, not liking how breathy her voice sounded. Even so, she couldn't help it when he looked at her like that. It felt like everything inside her had tightened into one big jumbled mess and she couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

"Yes, like me," he said with a slow smile.

He stared at her, seemingly looking for something and Misaki didn't know what. Whatever it was, he seemed to find it as his smile broadened ever so slightly. His hand shifted to the back of her head and instinctively, she knew he was going to kiss her. Not only that, but she wanted him to.

His actions were slow, indicating that she could pull away if she ever changed her mind at any time. He leaned in towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. Misaki stared back, her gaze held captive by his. Still, her heart thumped and her heart skipped a beat when his lips stopped a couple inches away from hers.

_Oh my God,_ she thought to herself suddenly. _Neither of us have brushed our teeth yet..._

Before he could actually kiss her, she quickly brought up her hand and put her fingers to his lips to stop him. Surprised by her actions, he pulled away suddenly. A clear look of confusion replaced the gentle expression on his face. He turned his head slightly to the side, as if he was asking what happened.

"It... Neither of us have brushed our teeth yet," Misaki mumbled with a blush on her cheeks.

"Oh..."

Unexpectedly, he began to chuckle and Misaki couldn't help herself from giggling. It wasn't like she planned for any of this to happen. Her only objective in coming over had been to double check and triple check that he was alright as she knew how dangerous TG-395 was - especially since he had been attacked by him.

Before she could say another word, November put his hands at her waist and helped her to stand up. He stood up immediately afterward and his hand easily found hers. He grinned at her and she shyly smiled back, feeling very foreign like another person was inhabiting her body. Even so, surprisingly, it wasn't like his attention was uncomfortable - not completely. It was just that she was really new to this whole attraction business, but the tingling sensations and nervousness must mean something.

"Where are we going?"

"Bathroom - to take care of the business that you mentioned," he replied lightly.

"Oh..."

Misaki felt herself blush at this because she wasn't sure if he meant that he would kiss her after they finished. Despite that, she followed along where he led and the two of them crammed into the bathroom. He let her enter first and she realized that he did it on purpose so she couldn't run away. While he rummaged around in the cabinets, Misaki giggled to herself.

"What's so funny, hm?"

"N - Nothing! It's nothing," she replied when he turned his head to look at her.

"Right... I don't particularly believe that one, but I won't press you to share your thoughts."

_Good, because I wouldn't want you to know that I think you look handsome, despite just waking up moments ago,_ Misaki thought to herself. _Even with unruly fly away hair and rumpled clothes._

She giggled again and November only raised an eyebrow as he handed her a new toothbrush to use. Taking it from him, she mumbled a thanks and turned her attention towards opening the package. She didn't know what it was, but she was having all these silly and unusual thoughts - not necessarily a bad thing, but just different from her usual routine.

Then again, when did she ever wake up in an attractive man's apartment after spending the night there? Absolutely never because she was always too busy working. Just this once, she would listen to November's advice. He was right on some level; they depended on her too much and she should stop hogging all the work to herself. Otherwise, the others would never gain their own footing to work independently.

At least, that was what she was trying to convince herself of. She wasn't staying because of November's kiss or the potential for it - no, nothing so selfish and wanton as that. Tingly sensations and shortness of breath had nothing to do with it either. They were going to have breakfast together and then she would go to work; it was as simple as that.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" November asked as he finished up in the bathroom.

"Um... Anything is fine."

"Alright. I've gotten better since the last time I cooked for you so it doesn't look as sloppy, but tastes just about the same. If I leave you unsupervised, you're not going to try and run away on me, are you?"

"I neve... I - I wouldn't do that," she stammered out in embarrassment.

November flashed her a grin before he casually sauntered out of the bathroom like this was a common occurrence. Misaki had the distinct feeling that something might as well have happened, even though nothing did. If nothing else, _she_ felt like something did, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. When he was gone, she sat down on the toilet as her legs gave way from beneath her.

* * *

"Did you get everything?" November asked as he smiled at her.

"Yes, I think so..."

"Okay, but even if you didn't, I could always come and return it to you."

"N - No!" exclaimed Misaki, blushing at her outburst. "I... It's fine. You don't have to do that..."

"Even if I want to?"

"N - No... J - Just tell me a - and I'll come get it myself..." she replied, tensing as he stepped closer towards her.

After she had stepped out of the bathroom, nothing had happened. At least, not what she had expected. He had been humming in the kitchen as he prepared toast, eggs and fruit slices. When he realized that she had joined him, he smiled and told her to seat herself at the table.

The two of them ate breakfast together and November chatted normally, like he did when they were on their dates. He didn't seem to make a fuss about the fact that they were actually alone together in his apartment; or regarding the fact that she had actually stayed the night at his place.

When they were finished, he took their dirty plates to the kitchen before returning to supervise as she gathered up her belongings. He walked her to the front door, still chatting like everything was fine. Even so, he must have sensed something because he suddenly stepped closer towards her, trapping her at the entrance of his apartment. Misaki couldn't help it that she had a flashback of the first time she had visited him here.

"N - No... November," she murmured softly when he pulled her against him with an arm around her waist.

"Hm... What is it?"

"I - I have to go..."

"I'll let you go," he replied with a small smile. "Just not yet."

Blushing furiously, Misaki glanced away and put her hand against his chest. Even so, he chuckled as she didn't actually push him away. In fact, she seemed to be waiting for him to make his move. Ah, his sweet Misaki... Not understanding how feminine and alluring she actually was.

Putting his hand to her cheek, November turned her face so she was forced to look at him. Her gaze darted away from his a couple of times before she stopped and finally stared back at him. He could read the nervousness in her eyes, but it was mixed with an open invitation and this was the moment he had been waiting for. He took his time in savouring the moment as he leaned in towards her.

Misaki stared into his eyes and felt like she could see his soul through his eyes. Everything he felt for her was there and she felt bound by the depth of his emotion - something she had never imagined from a man like him. His lips came closer and closer towards hers and her breath was caught in her throat.

When their lips finally connected, his touch was soft and gentle. Misaki couldn't help thinking that it was exactly how it should be - sweet - as he had been nothing but gentle and patient, regardless of how she might have acted towards him. She closed her eyes, her heartbeat increasing as she never imagined herself feeling this way.

The kiss seemed to drag on forever as they slowly pulled away from each other. November smiled as he rested his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes. A tinge of pink was still on her cheeks, but Misaki slowly returned the smile. Without warning, he gave her another quick peck on the lips before he released her.

"You better go," he said softly.

"Novem..."

"Go or I won't want to let you leave."

"T - This doesn't change a - anything between us," Misaki blurted out in embarrassment. "I - I still expect you to h - help me..."

"You are quite the character, my dear," November replied with a chuckle. "Now go, before I stop you."

Misaki stared up at him for a moment longer before she finally nodded her head. She pushed away from him and November stepped back. He watched her leave as a giddy feeling was building up inside of him. He had finally kissed her! And she had let him do so willingly.

Grinning to himself, he quickly locked the door and rushed back to his bedroom. Without a care in the world, he scrambled into bed and pulled the covers up with an enthusiastic vigour as everything finally seemed right. Wrapping the blankets tightly around his shoulders, he rolled and buried his face in the pillow. The smell of her shampoo still lingered and he started laughing like a maniac - he was that happy.

* * *

**A/N:** There... Finally! Lol~

Kuromi, your request has now been fulfilled, though I think _everyone_ was waiting for this... haha~

So how was it? With an almost kiss and a kiss (which was really short in terms of length). Too much (lol)? Not enough? Just right?

I kind of wanted to write more, but as an after thought, I think it's perfect. She stayed over at his place first before they ended up kissing and though it was short (the duration of it), the whole segment was really sweet! So I'm happy with that :)

As for Misaki, she lies! XD Not staying at an attractive man's apartment before... What about Li-kun? He's plenty attractive! hehe~ Unfortunately, she doesn't think of him in the same regard as November in this story. So don't jump all over me for that part! teehee~ (Don't want to get smacked for it by Hei/Li fangirls~)


	43. Chapter 43

A new chapter! ^^ If you spot any mistakes, please let me know. I've been lazy about editing...

* * *

**Chapter 43**

"Chief... Are you okay?"

Misaki looked up to find Saitou standing in front of her desk, concern on his face. She glanced around him to see that the others were gone. She tried to muster up a stern expression on her face, but failed completely. She knew that he was concerned and why shouldn't he be? Her miserable feelings were showing.

After leaving November's apartment yesterday, she had been feeling ecstatic from his kiss. She had been savouring the feelings while she climbed into the car. Then she realized that she would have to say something to Li... The moment of excitement had dissipated. Cold hard reality had settled in and everything came tumbling down around her ears.

Even now, she had no idea what she was supposed to tell Li. He wouldn't understand. After all, he had been the one to give the man a black eye. Besides, she didn't want him to think that she was wishy-washy when she had been resisting him to begin with. The main problem was that she wasn't really sure what she wanted. It didn't have to mean anything, just because she let November kiss her once.

"Chief?"

"Hm?" she asked, roused from her thoughts by Saitou's voice again.

"Are you feeling alright? You came in late yesterday, completely flustered and flushed. If you're feeling unwell, you should stay home and rest. We'll get TG-395."

"I'm fine. It's just a small headache."

The look he gave her was indicative of his disbelief, but he let the subject drop as he made his way back to his desk. Regardless of what happened with the flower incident, he was still the same Saitou she depended on. She didn't know how he did it, but he was back to normal the next day, like he hadn't been embarrassed in front of everyone else the day prior. She needed to be strong and resilient, like her co-worker.

_That's right,_ Misaki told herself. _I'll think of something. If I talk to Li, he'll understand. He's not unreasonable._

Digging deep within herself, Misaki tapped into her innate sense of composure. First things first, she had to deal with TG-395 and either take him into custody or remove him as a threat. Only then could she worry about her personal life. Civilian lives were at stake and she didn't want to know how far he would go to get what he wanted...

Slowly taking in deep breaths to calm herself, Misaki mentally prepared herself for a long night of work. Yesterday, she had slacked off completely, despite showing up. The others had been watching her with concern, but refrained from saying anything. In one sense it was good because Otsuka didn't comment about secret lovers or the like. At the same time, she knew that everyone thought that she was forcing herself and neglecting her health.

"Saitou, did we determine what it was that TG-395 was after in that crate?" Misaki asked moments later.

"We don't know what it was, but the crate was filled with parts for JAXA. It was one of their storage containers..."

"Did we get an inventory list?"

"Not yet," Saitou replied. "Matsumoto is still working on it. They're being uncooperative since they felt it was unnecessary of us to secure their supplies."

"Did he tell them that a dangerous Contractor was the one who was trying to break into it?"

"Yes, but they replied that we like to overhype everything so we can have our way."

"Damn it," Misaki answered. "Why do people always have to make our work so difficult?"

"Sorry..."

"No, no. It's not your fault. It's my fault that I let him get away."

"We'll get him. You know we'll help you where we can," Saitou stated.

"I know that. Thank you, Saitou."

He blushed a little and turned to look at his computer screen when Misaki gave him a small smile. Though he tried to pretend that nothing happened with that flower incident, he was still weak towards the moments of softness that the chief showed him. If anything, he liked her more afterward since she wasn't the type to pester him and embarrass him further.

* * *

With the lights turned off except the lone one above her desk, Misaki sighed. Staring at her computer screen, she couldn't think of any way to get the information they needed. Despite Matsumoto's attempt all day, none of the officials at JAXA were willing to give them the information they needed. In fact, they had sent him on a wild chase as each person supplied a different name, saying that they were not authorized to release such information. At the end of it, the list of names had come full circle as he was finally provided with the name of the first person he had contacted.

Utterly frustrated by it, he had contacted her. By then, it was already closing in on evening. She had managed to get a couple calls in, with similar results, before she was informed via the answering machine that everyone was unavailable. She told Matsumoto that she would try again tomorrow. There was no point for him to waste his time when she could think of better uses.

Despite saying that, she still didn't think she would fare any better than he did. If people wanted to be stubborn, then they were going to be regardless of how much she pestered them. She should know as this wouldn't be the first time that something like this occurred. The problem was that she really needed the information.

_Could I ask November?_ she finally asked herself with a slight blush.

The thought had entered her mind. It wasn't really her place to request specific information as that was not the way things worked. Informants came to her with the information they found, whatever it might be. She didn't turn around and ask them for something in particular as each informant had a different modus operandi. Her other option was to find an information broker, but they never came cheap.

_Not like November does either,_ she thought as he had a different sort of payment system. _I think I'd have better luck with him... But what if he thinks I'm asking because I wanted to see him again? It hasn't even been that long since we last met..._

A deeper blush settled in her cheeks and she put her hands to her face as it was exactly 32 hours and 28 minutes ago; a thought that entered her mind as she checked the clock on her computer for the thousandth time since thinking of him. If she contacted him now, it wouldn't even have been 48 hours.

Not only that, but she didn't know how to contact him. Not how exactly as she had many options - telephone, text message, dropping by his place... The problem was which one did she pick. Dropping by would be too much, just for a simple request. A text message seemed too informal, especially given the sensitive nature of the request.

Unfortunately, the thought of calling him made her nervous. What if her voice was unsteady after hearing his voice? What would she say exactly, as she had never done something like this before? What if he got caught up in the moment and she missed her opportunity to ask? Then she would have to call again...

She was lost in thought when the door suddenly opened and she whipped her head around to see who it was. Inwardly cringing, she didn't expect Li to show up at her office. He really did have bad timing as her hands were still to her cheeks; her colour flushed as she was in the middle of thinking of November.

"L - Li... What are you doing here?" she inquired nervously.

"I figured you would still be here working... But it looks like I should be asking what you are doing."

"I am working," she replied defensively.

He arched an eyebrow, clearly not believing her. He stepped towards her, his gaze moving towards her computer to find a blank screen. Given the startled expression on her face, along with the high colour, it wasn't hard to see that she wasn't working. He did not equate thinking of November to work; the only topic that would put that sort of redness to her face.

"I am," she stated softly. "I'm just having trouble..."

"And you would think to ask him for help before asking me?"

Misaki winced as she could hear the tinge of hurt in his voice. It wasn't like that; at least, not what he thought it was. It wasn't like she had purposely picked November over him. It was just that November had served as her informant for a while now and his information was always accurate. As for Li, she didn't want to put him into any sort of trouble.

"It's not like that," Misaki said miserably. "I need information..."

Immediately feeling ashamed of himself for making her feel guilty when none of this was her fault, Li knelt down next to her chair. Spinning her around so that she was facing him, he gently took her hands in his and tried to smile. He was laying the blame at the wrong person's feet. This was November's fault and no one else's.

"I'm sorry for doubting you," Li replied softly. "I just wish you would come to me more often... We already don't have much of a chance to see you as it is."

"I know that and I don't like it either. But Horai is on my case regarding TG-395 and I really need to capture him as quickly as I can. If I don't, I won't have time to do anything else."

"Then let me help. What's the problem?"

"He was after a crate at the warehouse and we discovered that it belongs to JAXA. All they would tell us is that it was one of their supply storages. Matsumoto has been trying to get his hands on an inventory list so that we can narrow down the item or items that TG-395 is after."

"And they won't give it to you," Li finished for her.

Dejectedly nodding her head, Misaki's gaze locked onto their hands intertwined on her lap. She had tried everything she could think of and November had been her last bet. Without his help, she didn't know how else she was going to get the information she required. Already, they were being held back by this bottleneck. If they had what they needed, she could move forward in trying to come up with a capture strategy.

"That's why I thought of asking November," Misaki stated. "Everything else he told me so far has been accurate. I'm sure he could find something."

"I suppose... I just don't like the fact that you're depending on someone like him."

"But he has helped me this whole time!"

"That's exactly what I don't like," Li muttered to himself.

The two of them stayed like that, lost in their own thoughts. Misaki was still trying to determine what the best way to ask would be. Li was trying to determine how he could insinuate himself into the situation and get the information first. He knew that Misaki didn't ask him because asking him meant asking Yin to do the work when it came to information gathering. She would never do anything to put the younger girl at risk, except that one time...

"At least, will you let me go along with you when you ask?" Li finally asked, resigned to his fate that there was nothing he could do on his own.

"But... I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Please? You've always depended on me for work-related matters before this. I was there when he attacked you. I think I deserve the right to know what this Contractor is after. I won't let him, or anyone else, hurt you."

When she gazed into his eyes, Misaki sighed softly and nodded her head. He was right and she didn't want to see him look at her with pained and pleading eyes. She had always informed him of everything she knew, even the information that November had shared with her. It wouldn't be right to suddenly block him out of her life. He had been part of it a lot longer than November had been.

* * *

**A/N:** Teehee~ I leave you on a good note (for all you Hei/Misaki fangirls out there... XD). I won't be able to update next week since I'm away on vacation (yay!) so you'll have to wait an extra week before finding out what happens next!

A story related note - JAXA stands for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.


	44. Chapter 44

I'm back~ But still kind of busy... Bleh. Not to mention that the writing brain isn't functioning properly - lacking ideas and motivation. I'm still working on the story though! Of course I am. I would never leave you guys hanging :) Just a bit of a struggle to continue with the next part and hating it. I lost my idea so I'm trying to "re-find" it.

In the mean time, I still have a couple chapters saved up so hopefully I'm back in writing mode before I use up my store of chapters XD

* * *

**Chapter 44**

"What are you doing here?" November asked grimly.

"I'm here to accompany her. What does it look like?"

Misaki sighed softly as Li and November glared at each other over November's coffee table. After she had informed Li of her situation regarding the JAXA inventory list, he had promised that he would help her set up a meeting with November. Considering his last response to November, she had no idea how the two of them worked things out. Even so, they had agreed to meet at November's house where they were granted some semblance of privacy.

"Can we discuss the matter of our visit?" Misaki inquired after clearing her throat.

It took them a while, but they finally managed to drag their angry gazes away from each other. November's gaze sharpened slightly as he glanced at the small distance between her and Li. On the other hand, Li smiled smugly before turning his attention towards her.

Tempted to get up from her seat and walk to the window, Misaki ignored the urge. Neither of them needed to be so worked up just because she was sharing a couch with Li. It made sense since they were still theoretically boyfriend and girlfriend, despite her small indiscretion with November. Li was especially protective after he had drawn out the information that November had kissed her.

Thankful that he hadn't offered his disinfection services, Misaki had to promise that she wouldn't tell November the truth. The thought had never occurred to her and she had to wonder why Li was making such a big fuss over it. Even so, she promised and he in turn had promised to take care of the rest, which led them to this moment.

"There was something that I needed to ask you," Misaki stated.

"Yes, I believe he mentioned it."

"I know this isn't usually done," she replied, "but there is some information that I really need. I was wondering if I could bother you to take a look into it..."

"It depends on what it is," November answered after a moment's thought.

Typically, he would have jumped at the chance to help her. But that was if she wasn't sitting in his living room with her boyfriend next to her. After all, that had been his purpose - at least, one of them. Despite the implications of her asking in the first place, he just couldn't be excited about it since her boyfriend was the one to set up the meeting. That alone had many implications.

"I..."

"There is information she needs in order to capture TG-395, the Contractor who attacked you," Li stated, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Yes. I wouldn't ask this of you unless I really had no options left," Misaki remarked, continuing.

Li smirked again as he wondered if Misaki realized the implications of her words. Even if she didn't, the other man did as his features puckered into a slight frown for just a moment. Her words implied that she had exhausted all her other choices first, leaving him as the last one. If he had heard that from her, he wouldn't have been pleased either.

"Both my subordinate and I have been trying to get our hands on the necessary information, but the agency has been giving us a roundabout and refusing to cooperate."

"Perhaps if you just cut to the chase and tell me what it is," November said tersely.

Misaki glanced up at him in surprise, startled by the hostility in his voice. A brief flash of hurt crossed her features and November mentally beat himself for taking his frustrations out on her. He wasn't usually this pessimistic. She had come to ask him in the first place; that should mean something in and of itself. It wouldn't do to let the extraneous details get to him.

"It'll be easier for me if you tell me what it is," he replied, gentling his voice. "I was there during your last encounter with him. I do have some background knowledge regarding the situation."

"Y - Yes, of course... We need the inventory list for JAXA's crate that was located at the warehouse. It was the one that he was breaking into. They have refused to cooperate, in not so many words. We still don't know what TG-395 was after. Only when we do can we determine how to proceed."

"JAXA hm?"

Li already knew that he would respond favourably; how could he not when Misaki had personally requested the information? What he didn't like was the fact that he was playing up the situation like it was an inconvenience, and therefore a huge favour to Misaki. She was waiting with bated breath as November took his time in answering. Even so, there was nothing Li could do about it.

"I suppose I could look into it," November answered a moment later.

"Really?"

"Of course. If you think it will help you," he commented with a smile.

"Yes! It will! Thank you so much!" Misaki exclaimed.

"It's my pleasure."

"He said yes!" she told Li happily.

"I know. I'm right here."

"Thank you so much," Misaki said again to November. "It really will help."

She beamed at him and his smile broadened while Li frowned. That jerk. He knew his response would have that effect if he played his cards right. Luckily he had inserted himself into the meeting; otherwise he didn't know _what_ would happen. Let him have his moment; not for long if he had anything to say about it though.

"Thank you," Li added. "This didn't take as long as we thought, so that means we can get on our way to supper."

"Oh! Of course. I nearly forgot about that."

"That's why I insisted I come along or I would be stranded, all alone, at the restaurant while I wait for you."

"You could just call me if that were the case," Misaki replied with a giggle.

"I much rather keep you safe by my side."

November didn't miss the glare that was tossed in his direction after his words. Ignoring the other man, he focused his attention on Misaki to see that she was still smiling at him. For that alone, he was thankful. Part of him was worried that she would hide and ignore him because of what happened during their last encounter. She might have kissed him, but she was still seeing this other guy... It wouldn't sit well with her at all.

"Thank you so much again. I really appreciate it," Misaki stated as she got up from the couch with Li.

"Like I said, it's really not a problem," he said, standing with them. "Let me see you to the door."

Despite what Li would have liked to say in response to this, Misaki nodded her head. The three of them walked to the front entryway, none of them speaking. Various thoughts were going through each of their minds. Misaki was pleased by how easy that had been as she had mentally prepared herself for a long drawn-out battle. Li was pleased that he was present so November couldn't force her into anymore dates. November was thankful that she asked, planning for another date. Even if he hadn't mentioned it since her boyfriend was around, it didn't mean that he would forget about it.

"Thanks again," Misaki said, not able to say thank you enough. "We'll be in contact."

"Definitely."

"Then let's get on our way," Li stated.

Before she could say another word, Li pulled her towards the car, keeping a tight hold on her hand. She followed along helplessly, surprised by how aggressively he was behaving. Before they arrived at her car, Misaki turned her head to give November a small nod and an apologetic glance. Considering how smoothly things had been, she had wanted to ask him a little more.

* * *

"Did we really have to be in that big of a rush?" Misaki asked. "It's not like we're in a hurry."

"Actually, we are," Li stated. "I already made reservations."

"Reservations?"

"Yes. We did say we were going out for supper."

"Yes, but I thought we would just go back to your place... What about Yin?" Misaki inquired.

"She's preoccupied since she's over at July's place."

"But... Doesn't she usually have supper with us?"

"She understands since I informed her of the situation," Li replied with a grin.

"The situation?"

"That's right. She happily went when she discovered that we were going to go on a date. After all, it wouldn't be right. Being your boyfriend for this long and we haven't had one decent date."

"But we're not really going out," protested Misaki.

"Does that really matter? You don't enjoy my company?"

Misaki giggled when he pouted at her. He was behaving so silly when he knew that she would always enjoy his company. When he smiled at her, Misaki returned it and dropped the subject. She never imagined that he would make such an elaborate showing out of this, but she had to admit that she was pleased. Most of the time, they didn't have much time together; only a few moments here and a few moments there.

"I even promise not to ask a single thing regarding November," Li stated solemnly. "Especially since we've seen enough of the man for the day."

"It was nice of him to help. I thought it would take much longer than that to persuade him."

"Now, now. I just said I wouldn't talk about him, so you mustn't either."

Again, Misaki giggled since he was wagging his finger at her. Promising not to do so for the remainder of the evening, she asked him where they were going. When he told her to drive to his place, she was surprised since he made it seem like they were going out to eat. Eventually, she found that they were going to a small restaurant that wasn't too far from his place. They were going to walk there and enjoy the fresh air.

She parked the car in the usual visitor's section. Before she could exit the car, Li pulled a Black Reaper move and was on the other side opening the car door for her. He grinned and she only shook her head in reply, amused by his antics. Since he didn't drive, he probably felt bad since he knew that November was the one who drove her around when they went on dates.

"My lady..." he stated, holding out his arm.

"Geez..."

Despite her verbal complaints, she easily slipped her arm through his. He took the car keys from her and locked the door on her behalf. Instead of giving them back to her, he slipped them into his back pocket. Misaki raised an eyebrow in response, but he only grinned at her. He clearly had something in mind, yet knowing him, he wasn't going to share until the very last moment.

"So what are we going to eat? Ramen?" she teased as that was their typical fare.

"Ramen?" he retorted in mock outrage. "How could you think so lowly of me?"

"But I like ramen."

"So do I," he replied with a chuckle. "But not tonight. I'm sure I'd hear an earful if Yin found out I was only taking you to ramen for a date."

"Does she even know that that means?"

"I have no idea, but she always likes it when we do things together."

"That's true," Misaki murmured in response.

"Anyways, no ramen for tonight! Not unless you still want to eat, _after_ we've eaten at the restaurant first. And after a little something special too..."

"Something special? What?"

"Something special," answered Li, giving her a conspiratorial grin.


	45. Chapter 45

Whoa... I've been so busy that I didn't even realize more than a week has gone by... Anyways, here's the next chapter! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 45**

A vibration from the phone in her pocket startled her as Misaki was sitting at her desk in deep thought. Pulling it out, she flipped it open to see that she had a text message. It could only mean one thing and she hoped it was good news. They had tried to track TG-395 after his disappearance, but there was still nothing.

_Good news is on its way. Wait for it,_ it read.

Sighing in relief, Misaki was glad to finally hear something from November. It had been a couple days since they had spoken regarding the inventory list. Knowing that things would be delayed, she had tried to focus her thoughts on another case except she just couldn't. She wasn't going to feel satisfied until TG-395 was safely behind bars, somehow, or dead, which seemed more likely of the two.

Just as she was about to turn her attention back to the computer, there was a knock on the door. Glancing up in surprise, she saw Kouno poke his head in. He glanced around to find that she was the only one in the room before he entered. Misaki raised an eyebrow as he made his way towards her.

"I was just on my way out," he answered. "I thought Saitou was still in here."

"No, he left just a minute ago."

"Alright. He's probably waiting for me downstairs. But um... The commander wanted to speak with you. I just ran into him in the hallway."

"I see," Misaki replied. "Thanks for letting me know."

Kouno nodded before he turned on his heel and left the room. Misaki waited for him to leave before she moved as well. Before exiting the office, she touched her hand to her pocket. Did November have really good timing or what? She already knew what Horai wanted to ask her about...

She made her way to his office and gave his door a few sharp raps. A muffled reply came before she made her way inside. Closing the door behind her, she stood a few feet away and waited until he motioned her forward. He glanced at her briefly. With one last signature to the papers in front of him, he closed the file and placed it on the corner before motioning her forward.

"You wanted to see me?" she inquired.

"Yes. I haven't had any progress updates on the TG-395 situation."

"I know. We've been delayed since JAXA has been unwilling to cooperate with us."

"But?" he supplied.

"But we have found a way to continue with our investigation," Misaki answered. "I'm expecting the latest news to arrive any minute."

"The plan of action?"

"With an inventory list, we should be able to narrow down the item or items that he was after. From there, it depends on what it was that he wanted. Most likely, we will set up a trap and take him down when he comes for it."

"How long will this take?" Horai questioned.

"Depending on the length of the inventory list, it should take me a day or two to determine what it was he wanted. From there, we will secure a safe location to lure him to. I want to have officers around the perimeter."

"Do you have a method to either capture him or eliminate him?"

"No, not yet," admitted Misaki. "His powers are quite an issue, but I will think of something."

"Very well. I want a detailed report on the plan before it is implemented. I will not have any lives sacrificed due to substandard planning."

"Yes sir! I understand."

"You are dismissed," Horai said curtly.

* * *

Back in her office, Misaki could only roll her eyes as there was a nicely wrapped package sitting on her desk. It could only mean one thing and she wondered how November did it. Everything was timed perfectly. He knew when it would be delivered, down to the very second it seemed like. Even so, she wasted no time in opening it and getting to work.

As she pulled the stack of papers from the package, she glanced at the front cover to find that it was blank. She had to admit that she liked his style; he never had anything obvious written across the documents. Otherwise, she could potentially get in trouble. He even took the time to reformat everything.

Flipping to the next page, Misaki's eyes scanned the tables. She really didn't know how he did it, but it seemed like he could get his hands on anything when it came to information. The list included the item name, the part number, manufacturing information and even the date purchased or commissioned. Each item was classified individually, even if they were of similar makes and models.

"This might take a while," she murmured to herself as she skimmed through the pages to find that there were at least twenty pages with a minimum of thirty items per page. "At least I gave the commander a reasonable timeline."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, one man was searching for the elusive Contractor who Misaki was hunting down. He had been unprepared the first time around, but not the second. He was going to help her as much as possible and it was partially his fault that the man had escaped in the first place.

November had thought it through clearly. He wouldn't ask her to go on a date until they removed the problem that was TG-395. After all, she wouldn't go willingly; at least, not in a receptive mood if he wasn't caught first. Then, he would take his time and have her pay him back all at once.

Until that could happen, he would double his efforts into tracking him down. He had done it once; he was sure he could do it again. The issue at hand was time. Given that Misaki had personally asked him to find the information, he could imagine that she was under pressure to perform and remove the threat once and for all.

* * *

In a third location in the city, one man was wracking his brains for a way to eliminate the threat to Misaki's well-being. Li had arrived in time to catch the tail end of the encounter between Misaki and TG-395. He knew of his powers of intangibility, which made him difficult to handle. Traditional methods wouldn't work on him, as Misaki had already tried with bullets, but how could he kill him when he couldn't capture him to begin with?

It seemed like there was nothing to stop him. He had passed through the brick wall of the warehouse like it was nothing; avoided being hit by Misaki's bullet like it was nothing. The thought of BK-201's electric power entered his mind, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He didn't even know if it would work. Also, he couldn't risk Yin's safety, even in a situation like this.

There had to be some sort of weakness to the man's powers - something that would make him stop dead in his tracks. They just didn't know what it was yet and he was determined to discover what it was. He wanted Misaki to be fully prepared in case of anything, though he would be there to monitor on the side.

"Li!"

A voice startled him from his thoughts and he glanced up to see his manager glaring at him with his hands on his hips. He had been preoccupied and forgot that he was at work. Sheepishly scratching at the back of his neck, Li left the storage closet and headed back into the main building.

"I'll have you know that I don't appreciate you slacking off."

"Yes sir. It won't happen again," Li murmured.

"See that it doesn't. You've been gone for half an hour. I expect you to make up that time today."

"Yes sir."

With a quick nod, his manager left him and Li sighed softly. He had been thinking of this problem ever since November agreed to unearth the JAXA inventory list. After everything he had discovered so far, Li didn't think he would have any troubles with something so simple - government agency or not. He had no idea how November did it, but he wouldn't be upstaged.

He went back into the storage closet to grab the items that he had initially been sent to get before he made his way back upstairs. If he wasn't careful, he was going to lose his job. Now was not the best time for that to happen as he had to pay for rent, food and utilities, along with anything else they might need. He didn't need another worry to add to the problem that Misaki was already in.

* * *

By the end of the day, Misaki had narrowed down her list by approximately half. Comparing the list to images taken from the crime scene, a number of items would have been too large for him to take. Others were too small as she couldn't imagine him going to the trouble of breaking the lock when he could have easily grabbed what he wanted if they were small in size.

Some things on the list didn't seem to match with his personality as she couldn't imagine him stealing space shuttle skin. The things that had caught her eye so far were fuel cells and gas tanks. Both of them were present in mid-sized ranges. It fit with his MO. He had been using small bombs on his victims, but she wouldn't be surprised if he escalated and found uses for larger devices.

Sighing to herself, she couldn't help wishing that this was one Contractor who just didn't exist. Of all the ones she had met so far, none of them had been as troublesome as him - not even the former Black Reaper. At least they had been able to track Li's movements, for the most part. TG-395 acted and moved as he pleased, answering to no one but himself.

Even now, Misaki had no clue what he wanted besides something in the JAXA crate. She could only make an educated guess based on his previous behaviour and the contents of it. If she got it wrong, then there was going to be hell to pay. Horai was not going to sit there quietly if she messed up again.

* * *

**A/N:** Uh yah... This chapter is so jumpy... But I wanted to capture everyone's response to the situation so it ended up being bits of everyone in the same chapter. I don't particularly like that, but it had to be done.

As for the "special" thing from last chapter... Lol~ It wasn't meant to be a cliffhanger, but basically the idea was that Li baked up something special for them as dessert! He usually cooks a ton, but doesn't bake anything. So it's special since it's a first for them. That's all :)


	46. Chapter 46

Sorry for the long wait... It's summertime and I'm struggling in the motivation department. But here's a little bit more :)

* * *

**Chapter 46**

Alone in the office, for once, Misaki was not hard at work. Instead, she was standing by the office window and gazing out at the city in front of her. She had tried to focus on the task at hand, but she couldn't. When she stared at the words on the page in front of her, her eyes glazed over and her vision blurred. There was something wrong with her.

It wasn't the fact that she didn't know what the problem was that broke her concentration. It was the fact that she _did_ know what the problem was. It shouldn't bother her, but it did. At first she had thought nothing of it, but it was so unlike him...

Sighing softly, she rested her forehead against the cool window for a moment. She thought November would have contacted her after sending the package regarding JAXA's inventory list. After all, he did all those other times, eagerly with a plan for a date on hand. Yet it had been three days since and still nothing.

She was supposed to be working on the plan for capturing TG-395. She knew she shouldn't let November's lack of contact bother her; in fact, she should be happy that he wasn't around to pester her. Even so, it didn't change the fact that she _was_ bothered - to the point that she couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts tumbled and tangled in her mind like a ball of string.

"I thought he would call," she murmured to no one in particular.

Sighing once more, she finally made her way back to her desk and tried to force her attention back to the task at hand. Horai was already pestering her for the details - details that she would never work out at this rate. The irritation had been minor at first, but like a festering wound, it had started to spread and grow. Why hadn't November contacted her?

"This is no good. You know he does things at his own pace," she reminded herself as she picked up her pen. "It's not like he has forgotten or anything. He's probably busy trying to come up with another elaborate date."

The thought did little to elevate her spirits, but it was the best she could do at the moment. She was spending way too much time on the topic when there were more important things to deal with - namely TG-395. If he was out of the picture, she would have all the time in the world to do whatever she wanted - supposedly. At least she wouldn't be kept on a short leash by Horai.

Slowly turning her thoughts back to the case, she had discussed the findings with everyone on the team. All of them had agreed with her opinion regarding the fuel cells or gas tanks as potential targets. Now that they knew what he was possibly after, it was up to her to figure out a plan to target and trap him.

Despite their beliefs, she had decided to use the entire crate as a lure. After all, it was still possible that they were wrong. It was better to have him come, regardless of what it was that he was after. She had reported an overview of her plan to Horai, but he demanded a thorough written plan that he could review. Unfortunately, at this time, it was easier said than done.

"Work!" she exclaimed as she found her thoughts wandering. "TG-395 first. Then November."

Her eyes travelled back to the pages in front of her and she tried to re-read what she had already written down. Normally, she would do this on the computer, but her fingers weren't cooperating with her. She had tried it and found herself staring at an entire page of gibberish. Her fingers had gone flying over the keyboard while her thoughts had run rampant in the opposite direction.

She managed to get through the first paragraph when her phone started ringing. A sense of excitement leapt into her at the thought that it might be November, but it disappeared when she realized that he had never called her before. He had always left text messages.

"Hello?" she said, picking it up a moment later.

_"What took you so long? Are you still at work?_

"Where else would I be?" she answered, hoping her voice sounded normal as she heard her best friend's voice on the other line.

_"I thought so. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Get ready."_

"For what?"

_"Supper! I had to stay late today and I'm starving... I figured you still be out,"_ Kanami answered.

"Oh... Okay."

_"Okay?"_ Kanami inquired suspiciously.

"Hm?"

_"Usually I have to drag you away from work, kicking and screaming..."_

Misaki felt like smacking herself in the forehead when she heard that, but didn't. Even so, she had no idea what to say. Instead, a silence hung between them before she finally sighed softly. She was never good at hiding things from anyone, least of all Kanami. They had known each other for much too long.

_"Scratch that. I'll be there in ten minutes,"_ Kanami stated before hanging up.

Pulling the phone away from her ear and hanging up, Misaki shoved it back into her pocket before glancing at the papers on her desk. It wasn't like she was actually getting anything done... She had tried for a few hours now, but she just couldn't concentrate. Besides, Kanami would be here soon enough. Regretfully packing away her things, she locked the papers in her drawer before picking up her purse.

* * *

"What happened now?" Kanami demanded the moment they were left alone at their table.

"Nothing really."

"Don't give me that. I know something is wrong."

"I... I just have to keep up with tradition," Misaki replied with a weak smile.

"Tradition my ass. You know you can tell me if something happened."

Misaki sighed softly as she glanced at the utensils in front of her. She knew that Kanami would listen. She just didn't know how to say it without feeling embarrassed about it. Yet it bothered her to the point that she couldn't do her work - something she had always been able to do regardless of what happened around her.

"It's the TG-395 case," she stated, hoping that it would be easier if she started with something she was more comfortable discussing.

"Well so far we've been lucky and he hasn't been active."

"Yes, but Horai wants him eliminated as quickly as possible. I think we've already exhausted all our mental capabilities on a way of capturing to come up empty. That's our only option left."

"Worried that you'll be the one to kill him?" Kanami inquired, knowing that Misaki tried to avoid that scenario whenever possible.

"It's not that," she replied with a small sigh. "I need to write up the report first, but... I can't concentrate."

"_You_ can't concentrate?" exclaimed Kanami.

A blush tinged her cheeks at Kanami's outburst as she was clearly overreacting to the news. This was exactly what she had been afraid of except she hadn't been able to hide her emotions. She should have known by now that Kanami always contacted her when she least wanted to be; so she would say in her own defence.

It was like they had an internal SOS system; one that was fine-tuned over the years. After all, Misaki was never one to openly show her emotions - only to specific people. Otherwise, she bottled up most things inside her until Kanami came along and forced it out of her. In a way, it was Misaki's special coping mechanism. There must be a wave pattern from her that only Kanami would understand, regardless of the distance between them.

"You can't concentrate?" Kanami repeated, eyes narrowing as she glanced at her friend.

The colour in her cheeks deepened as her friend continued to assess her with her eyes. Misaki finally nodded shyly in response, feeling very much like a fish out of water. She was completely out of her element. That was why she needed Kanami's help, but she had never done this before. She didn't know what to say or where to start.

"November hasn't called me!" she eventually blurted out when the silence was getting to her. "He always tries to contact me after giving me information."

"November?"

Biting her lip, Misaki glanced away. She had no idea what she was doing, but she thought it would be better if she talked to Kanami about it. She wasn't helping in the slightest as she kept repeating everything she said with an exaggerated reaction. It wasn't _that_ odd for her to be disturbed by something like this, was it...?

"It has been three days since he helped me with the list," Misaki mumbled. "I know it was weird that Li was with us the last time we met, but still..."

"Li?"

"He helped me set up a meeting with November since it just isn't right for me to demand specific information from an informant," explained Misaki. "I don't know how he did it, but November agreed to both the meeting and digging up the information."

"You can't concentrate on your work because you're too busy wondering why November hasn't contacted you?" Kanami inquired for clarity's sake.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Misaki retorted defiantly, despite being thoroughly embarrassed.

Kanami's response was completely unexpected as her friend began to chuckle. Chagrined by her laughter, Misaki couldn't believe Kanami would respond that way. Before she had arrived, Misaki had carefully worked out the situation in her mind. Though it didn't go according to her plan, she never once expected her friend to laugh at her - especially when she was being quite serious about the matter.

"I'm sorry," Kanami murmured a moment later. "But to think that you, of all people, were bothered by such a thing... Misaki, sometimes you are just too adorable. It makes me want to keep you all to myself, away from Li and November."

"W - What? I'm not into things like that!"

Kanami giggled again before she looked at her friend with a gentle expression on her face. Misaki was quite slow in the romance department, but that was where she came in. They complimented each other nicely. To see the usual calm and composed Misaki sitting across from her nervously with a blush on her cheeks... If it was appropriate, she would have snapped a picture just to commemorate the moment.

"I'm sure he's busy with some trick up his sleeve," Kanami informed her, her voice serious as she tackled the problem. "It looks like his ploys have been working."

"I - I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh come on Misaki. For you to worry about someone like November over the case with TG-395? That's so not like you at all."

"But... He usually contacts me right away," Misaki pointed out quietly.

"Like I said, I'm sure he's busy for the moment. You didn't think he forgot about you, did you?"

Misaki's gaze darted away as the thought had entered her mind. It didn't seem like something he would do, but it was possible. After all, she didn't have insight into his mind; she couldn't read him like she did Kanami or Li. It was difficult to know what to expect since it had always been this way between them. He showed up unannounced, said whatever he pleased, did whatever he pleased for the most part and disappeared whenever he felt like it.

"Not possible," Kanami stated. "He has been pursuing you for this long. I highly doubt that he'd suddenly wash his hands of the situation. He's not like that at all."

"How would you know?"

"I know this. He was a man who flirted with every beautiful woman out there without a care. Yet he dispensed with these antics, quit smoking and even became your informant just to get closer to you. He even bought you a 200,000 yen dress for one date. He didn't even go on dates with us."

"220,000 yen," Misaki corrected with a murmur, "and everything else with it..."

"Exactly! He spoils you and tries to spend as much time with you as possible. I doubt he would suddenly forget about you. Maybe something came up with his work that he had to handle. I'm sure he'll contact you the moment he's available."

"I guess..."

"I'm right and you know it," Kanami retorted. "Besides, you still haven't shown me the dress he got you. 220,000 yen! You even went to Roppongi for supper..."

"It's at his place," Misaki replied with a blush. "I couldn't possibly take that thing with me!"

"You should have! So I can see it! I bet it looked so beautiful."

"It was," she answered with a small smile. "I... I actually liked it."

"If you said you didn't, I would have to come over there and slap you! I don't even dare step into a place like that... Not only did you get to try a bunch of them on, but you actually own one!"

"It's not like it's mine. November paid for it."

"It's yours. What in the world would he do with it?" Kanami asked with a grin. "He might have paid for it, but it was a present."


	47. Chapter 47

Sorry for both a late and short update... ^^;; But here's the next chapter~

* * *

**Chapter 47**

Misaki stood waiting in her assigned location, unable to shake off that nagging feeling of uncertainty. The plan to capture TG-395 had been put in motion, mostly due to her putting pressure on Horai even though he hadn't been fully satisfied with her report. Even so, she pointed out that they were wasting time with paperwork, knowing that he could strike at any moment.

He had still hesitated until she had clearly pointed out that it was better to be the ones in control of the situation with a trap than to be the ones chasing him, not knowing anything but acting as things happened. Only then had he conceded, but still, they did not have a foolproof method of capturing him or eliminating him...

She had informed Li of the situation. He wasn't pleased to hear that they didn't have a method of capturing him, especially when it would put her in danger. He had been doing his own homework and got his hands on an electroshock weapon, something he thought may help. When she asked about it, he informed her of his thoughts regarding his powers - powers that he wasn't willing to use again.

Though she thought he might be on the right track as it would be difficult to block an electric shock, she wasn't willing to carry it on her. After all, it wasn't government issued weaponry. In the end, she had refused. Despite all of Li's pleadings, she just couldn't.

Sighing softly, on top of all that had happened, she still didn't hear anything from November. As they were setting up for this stakeout session, she had finally plucked up her courage and fired off a quick text message regarding the latest news. His return text was just as quick, informing her that he already knew and wishing her the best of luck.

Honestly, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting him to say. It wasn't like he could go along with her. He would only be in the way - that was why he was an informant; to give her the best chances at setting up an operation like this. She had been tempted to ask what he thought of the plan, but she couldn't. She hadn't sent any subsequent messages and neither had he.

All of that had led her up to this point. Her entire team was staked out inside the warehouse with her, along with a few men that Horai had handpicked to be part of the inside operation. The perimeter of the warehouse was also lined with men, but they were informed not to act rashly. Mostly, the whole setup was to put TG-395 on his guard while he approached.

It was quite obvious that it was a trap, but based on what she knew about him, he wasn't the type of Contractor to shy away from the threat. Instead, he was more likely to laugh at their vain attempts to capture him; to come snatch what he wanted right out from underneath their noses. It was true that they didn't have a method to confine him, but they could work that out when they got to that point...

_This is not time to give into your squeamish nerves, Misaki. If you panic, everyone else will panic._

"Report your situations," she stated in a whisper, tapping into her wire.

"Saitou here. All clear."

"All clear," Kouno repeated.

"All clear. No signals from the perimeter yet," answered Matsumoto.

The others patched in to give her updates, but so far nothing yet. She informed them to be careful and keep their eyes open. If any of the officers around the perimeter spotted signs of movement from him, they were to inform Matsumoto who was stationed closest to the front warehouse entrance.

* * *

The knots in her stomach were starting to tighten as they had waited for three hours and he still did not show himself. It wasn't possible that he didn't receive their information, was it? Surely he had an information system, not unlike their own... After all, a man like November was able to gather intel and he wasn't affiliated with any companies or government agencies - at least, he wasn't before this.

"Anything yet?" she asked for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"No..."

"Saitou?"

"No, nothing here," he answered.

"I see nothing," Matsumoto reported. "No signals from the perimeter either."

"Alright. Don't drop your guard."

"Yes, Chief."

She sighed softly as she turned to glance around. He was probably waiting for them to drop their guard. Despite the officers around the perimeter, he could already be in the building. But there had been no news from Kanami that his powers were activated. He could strike any moment from any direction and that fact bothered her the most.

* * *

"I knew I would find you here. Did you miss me?"

Whirling around in surprise as she heard the sound of someone landing behind her, Misaki was shocked to see TG-395 standing there. He leered at her, the same cocky attitude she had faced the last time she had stood up against him. This time, she could tell that he meant business.

"Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Put your hands up. You're under arrest," Misaki stated.

"Tsk tsk. Sweetie, didn't you learn your lesson the first time around?"

He took a step towards her and Misaki was forced to side step as her back was towards a crate behind her. He continued to follow her steps with a languid pace, toying with her like a cat and mouse situation. He was too close, too quickly. She hadn't been prepared for this.

"How did you get in here?" Misaki asked, hoping to stall for time.

"You mean without using my powers? Now, now. If I told you that, where would be the fun in that? I want you to keep guessing, even into your afterlife."

"My men are with me; they'll catch onto the situation soon enough."

"And then do what?" he asked with a grin. "Shoot me? They'll hit you before they hit me."

"What are you after? Why are you doing this?" Misaki inquired, trying for a different tactic.

"Don't be such a killjoy. We have some unfinished business to attend to."

"If you'll just hand yourself over, then the business would be finished."

He laughed, a mirthless sound. Even though he had her cornered, she had some fire in her and he liked that. Even so, that wasn't enough for him to give up on what he had already started. There might be a method to the madness. Or there might not be. He wasn't so sure himself, but he knew what he needed to accomplish and no one was going to stand in his way.

"Still feisty, despite the way your voice wavered so beautifully just moments earlier," he finally replied. "If you'll put away your weapon and come with me, then maybe I'll answer your questions."

"I think not," Misaki snapped back. "You'll most likely kill me."

"Oh, not just most likely. But wouldn't you want to know those answers before you go?"

Misaki glared, even though her arm trembled as she held up the gun between the two of them. He had stopped following her steps, but they were still too close as he stood three feet away from her. It almost felt like a showdown; who could react faster? Would the bullet pierce through him before he could activate his powers?

"Don't move," Misaki stated when he shifted his weight forward. "I'll shoot you."

"Darling, you've already tried - and missed terribly. Remember?"

She remembered; she remembered every detail of that night. That was why she felt this urgent need to put the plan in motion, but now that they were here like this, she wasn't so sure that it had been such a great idea... He was confident of his abilities and she had nothing going for her. A gun was meaningless to him.

"Now, be a good girl and lower your weapon. You don't have to drag this out for longer than necessary."

"I refuse. It's my responsibility to stop you."

"Except you won't be able to..."

He smirked at her and Misaki was unable to pull the trigger as he rushed at her. The gun was knocked out of her hands and it went clattering to the ground. She didn't even have time to react as she felt his fist connect with her abdomen. Excruciating pain flared from the contact and she felt herself go flying. Her head snapped back, impacting the crate behind her and she slid slowly to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

**A/N:** I actually wanted more to happen between Misaki and TG-395, but I couldn't think of anything. So hopefully it was alright as this chapter starts the next segment of the story :)


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

Taking a step forward towards his prey, TG-395 stopped a moment to think through the plan. He expected her to be here; that was within his calculations. He would have to take her with him, but did he do that now or after he retrieved what he had come for? There was no time to waste in making two trips.

As he had been about to continue in the direction he had been travelling in, a blur of motion in his periphery caught his attention. Forced to deviate from his chosen path, he narrowly dodged a killing swipe of a knife. The flurry of attacks continued and he continued to dodge; all the while thinking, _that is the most hideous green jacket I have ever seen_.

* * *

Li had been in the process of joining up with Misaki when he witnessed her approached and attacked by TG-395. It hadn't been difficult to get in despite the bright colours of his outfit. After all, Misaki had outlined the plan in full detail for him a number of times, as it was updated.

To see her lying unconscious before his very eyes; something inside him snapped. It took every ounce of control he had within him to fight off the urge to blast the man with Black Reaper powers. He didn't dress like that for a reason; because he had been inactive as Black Reaper long enough that they had stopped searching for him.

He pulled out the knife he was carrying with him and charged at TG-395, a simmering rage burning beneath the surface of his consciousness. It would all end tonight; he would make sure of it. It didn't matter what it took, but the ultimate price for hurting Misaki like that was death.

TG-395 dodged the initial attack by a millimetre, but Li was not going to give him a chance to recover. Focusing all of his concentration on the enemy, he needed to find an opening - his powers be damned. With practiced ease, Li switched his hold on the knife amidst throwing punches with his free hand; holding the knife with the tip of the blade facing towards himself.

Left, right, left, swipe. He pushed TG-395 farther and farther away from where Misaki was. Though he wasn't fighting back, Li realized it wasn't going to be easy to catch him off guard. Even without activating his powers, he was dodging his attacks. He needed the element of surprise, but he couldn't think of anything.

Swipe, left, swipe, slash. He figured he could wear him down. He was bound to make a mistake sooner or later and he would capitalize on that moment when he did; it was a gamble by betting on his own stamina over TG-395's, but it was the only plan he had at the moment.

"Who are you?" TG-395 inquired as he put more distance between them.

Choosing not to answer, Li closed the gap again and continued to attack. Right, left, slash, left. His eyes connected with TG-395's and his expression darkened even more. He was a true Contractor; not a hint of emotion in his eyes. Dark and depthless, his eyes told Li everything he needed to know.

"Her prince? Another one? I thought it was the fair-skinned, blond hair man," stated TG-395. "Not that it _really_ matters to me."

The mention of November as Misaki's prince almost caused him to lose control over his rage, but he forced himself to push it away, to ignore it. He would _never_ approve of that, ever. Even so, it was a minor problem and one of little significance in comparison to the threat that TG-395 was. November could be dealt with at a later date. Misaki's safety and well-being came before all else.

Doubling his efforts, Li continued to attack. Swipe, slash, left, right. TG-395 was going to go down first and there was no question about it. Li couldn't recall ever feeling this much adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"You'll never get me," TG-395 stated calmly as he dodged yet another attack. "I have the advantage."

Growling under his breath, Li showed him what he thought of that statement. His speed increased as he charged with a thrust of the knife. TG-395 side-stepped it, but Li wasn't finished. Throwing a left punch, he switched his hold on the knife again. If he could change his tactics fast enough and throw in more elements at the same time, he was bound to connect. After all,

* * *

November collapsed to the ground wheezing, struggling for air. IF he thought regular workouts were enough, this was nothing in comparison... He hadn't even checked where he was or if anyone was in sight; it didn't matter because he would die before he got there if he continued at this rate.

Misaki had messaged him prior to this and he had been so excited. It was the first text message she had ever sent him. Even so, he played it off coolly. Her message was to inform him of their latest plans to which he replied that he already knew; it was true. He did know about it. He didn't want her to think too much of it, but he had always planned on infiltrating. Now in the moment, he realized it was a lot harder to execute than he originally imagined.

Thankful that no one was around despite his carelessness, November had to rest for a few moments before he continued. Once he was ready, it took him a moment to reorient himself as he hadn't entered the warehouse according to his original plan. A stroke of luck helped him with his endeavours and he managed to find his way in past the guards and into the building.

He knew exactly where Misaki was stationed. He also knew exactly where he was going as he had spent the last several evenings memorizing the layout of the warehouse Misaki had chosen as the battleground between them and TG-395. Just in case, he had also prepared a weapon as a gun was tucked into the back of his pant waistband.

For good measure, he reached behind to touch it; to check that it was still in place. It was. He listened carefully as he moved ahead, attentive for any unexpected noises. He watched carefully, his eyes alert for any people who might cross his path.

Caution defining his movements, it took him fifteen minutes to make his way to Misaki's designated location. When he didn't find her there, a disconcerting feeling settled at the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He searched her area, circling the crates in an organized fashion.

Unexpectedly, he heard the murmur of a voice. Moving towards it, he was shocked when he discovered Misaki slumped against a crate, unmoving and unconscious. As he was about to rush to her side, an angry growl and a snappy retort caught his attention; he recognized the voice of Li - Misaki's boyfriend. No more was said and November felt torn on what to do. He wanted to stay with Misaki, but he also sensed a dire urgency from where Li was.

With a heavy heart, he turned away from Misaki without checking on her. He made his way towards the location from which the voices had originated, pulling out his gun. Inching his way forward, he was conscientious of his actions as he did not want to give his presence away. He would check on the situation with Li first before going back to Misaki's side.

As he cleared yet another crate, November stumbled across Li in the middle of a relentless fight with the man he recognized as TG-365. The Contractor wasn't attacking and November couldn't understand why he didn't. It would make sense to take out the threat to his mission; yet he did absolutely nothing but dodge Li's barrage of attacks.

For a moment, November stood watching in awe. The fight he was witnessing was nothing like the fight he had been in with Li. His movements were both swift and efficient; he had the inkling that he would have been beaten into a bloody mess if Li had actually faced him seriously...

Shaking away the feelings of astonishment, November crept closer towards them. Despite Li's obvious skill, he wasn't getting anywhere since TG-395 continued to taunt him with his elusiveness. If he could get close enough and help somehow... Though they were destined to be bitter rivals, this was not the time for that. Misaki was injured and there was only one explanation; that would be enough motivation for them to cooperate in this instance.

Sneaking closer, November rounded the crate to reorient himself in terms of their position and growled softly. Since they were fighting in a clearing where a number of crates were removed, they had travelled farther away in the amount of time it took him to get close. He was going to have to anticipate their movements and move accordingly at the same time or he would never get close enough.

* * *

The sound of a single gunshot echoed between the crates. TG-395 turned his head in surprise and Li knew; this was the moment. From his pocket, he pulled out the electroshock weapon he had kept concealed. Switching it on, he jabbed it into TG-395's body and the man's face turned back towards him as it contorted in pain. His body slumped towards the ground. In a swift and strong motion, Li flipped his hold on the knife and plunged it deep into his heart.

TG-395 stopped falling in a kneeling position, blood oozing from the deadly wound in his chest. It seemed to happen in slow motion as Li watched him fall over onto his side, dead. He stared at the body a moment longer before he finally looked up to see November cautiously approaching, a gun held shakily in his hand.

"I - Is he dead?" November asked, despite the obvious answer.

"Yes."

"D - Did I do t - that?"

"You gave me the opportunity I needed. I'm the one who plunged the knife into his chest. Come on. We have to go," urged Li as he could hear the sounds of the others, alerted by the sound of November's gunshot.

November continued to stare at the body, an indescribable expression on his face. He didn't seem to hear Li at all. Figuring it was the first time he had actually seen something like this, Li grabbed his arm and dragged him away from it. They had to get out of here before the others found them.

On the way out, Li made sure to pass by where Misaki was. They didn't have the chance to stop and check on her, but she would be taken care of by her own. What mattered the most now was that TG-395 was well and truly dead, a matter he had taken care of with his own hands. He would no longer be a threat to anyone, especially not Misaki.

They were at the doorway when November finally came to his senses and struggled against Li's grasp. He broke free and turned to head back inside, but Li was faster. Strengthening his grip as he grabbed November a second time, Li steered him back towards the doorway.

"Let go of me," demanded November, unable to break free. "We have to go back for Misaki!"

"No. Neither of us are supposed to be here."

"She's injured! You must have seen her!"

"What are you going to accomplish?" Li inquired calmly. "We'll only complicate her situation. There's no way to explain our presence. Saitou and the others will make sure she's treated."

"But how can you just..."

November's voice faltered as the other man turned to gaze at him. Though he was acting calmly, the depth of emotions in his eyes indicated his true state of mind. It wasn't that he didn't care. He was holding back because it was the best for Misaki in this situation. No longer able to question the decision, November followed along silently as Li led them out of the warehouse complex and to safety outside.

"It pains me to say this, but thank you," Li stated when they were far, far away from the warehouse.

"For what?"

"Your help back there."

"Yes, well... Back at you," November replied begrudgingly. "I wouldn't have been able to handle the situation..."

"... It doesn't mean that I approve of you hanging around Misaki and trying to steal her away from me. Just to be perfectly clear."

"Hmph. Likewise."

They glared at each other despite the fact that they had shaken hands seconds earlier. TG-395 was one matter, but Misaki herself was another issue all together. Li calmly wiped his hands on his jeans to show November what he thought of him and November reciprocated the action. They glared at each other a moment longer before they harrumphed and turned to leave their own separate ways.

* * *

**A/N:** Hopefully it was somewhat exciting as I always struggle with fight scenes XD This time, they both play a part in saving Misaki! ^^


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

"Chief! Chief!" Saitou shouted, tapping into his ear piece.

There was no response. Throwing all caution to the wind, he rushed from his location to the quadrant next to his where the Chief was situated. Something didn't seem right. A gunshot had echoed throughout the warehouse, but there had been no alert to TG-395 crossing the perimeter. The fact that the sound had come from the Chief's location did not sit well with him.

The thought that the Chief was harmed caused a surge of adrenaline to course through his system and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. It seemed to take him eternity to get closer, but it was only a couple minutes. As he crossed into her quadrant to guard, he almost ran passed a body that was lying on the ground.

In an instant, his mind registered that this was TG-395; lying dead on the ground sideways with a knife protruding from his chest. His feet stopped moving and his entire body jerked backwards from the sudden standstill. He was forced to steady himself before he could glance down closer at the body in front of him. When he looked up from the body, it was to find that there was no one else in sight - just dead silence.

This in turn reminded him of his purpose in running here. The Chief was still missing. As her loyal officer, it was his duty to find her. After all, she had been in charge of assigning quadrants and she had placed him right next to her while the others were farther away. Kouno and the others would come running when they heard the news. Therefore, it was up to him to find the Chief and ensure that she was safe.

"All officers to quadrant 12," he said to the others. "TG-395 is down."

_"Roger."_

Nodding his head though the others couldn't see him, Saitou left the body where it was and continued his way through the crates to find Misaki. A sense of panic was starting to build as she still did not respond. Something must have happened to her and he couldn't bear the thought. He had to see for himself; not to mention that he would never forgive himself if someone else found her first.

"Chief! Chief!" he shouted again, rushing through the crates. "Where are you?"

There was still no response. With each passing second that she was out of sight, another bubble of fear inside of him popped and dissipated throughout his body. Just as he was about to have a nervous breakdown, he saw her. Her head was resting against her chest as she was slouched, unmoving, against a crate.

"Chief!" he exclaimed, running to her side.

His hands were clammy from the nervous tension building up inside him and he felt his limbs shaking as a moment of insanity passed through his mind. He had to slap himself a couple times to regain control over his conscious thoughts. Still with a nervous tick in his system, he knelt down by her side and reached towards her neck to check for a pulse.

When he felt it pulsing strongly, he let out a long sigh of relief. She wasn't on her death bed, despite her state of unconsciousness. Carefully, he tipped her head backwards to examine her features for any signs of what had occurred. Nothing indicative of what she had gone through, though he was no doctor. She was pale in comparison, but he was glad to hear slow breaths when he put his ear to her nose.

He wasn't sure what to do next: to leave her as she was and wait for the paramedics or to help her lie down while they waited. Just as he was about to scoop her into his arms to lay her on the ground, a sound from behind indicated that someone had joined him. Turning around, expecting Kouno, he had found one of Commander Horai's men instead.

"Well?" Saitou snapped, as the man did not speak.

"He's dead, but we can't figure out how."

"We can examine the details later. For now, call the paramedics!"

"Yes sir..." he replied before turning to go.

A non-violent man by nature, Saitou clenched his fingers into a fist as this raging urge to punch someone overtook him. Even so, he relaxed his fingers as he had a feeling that the man who did this to Misaki was the man who was already lying dead. As he took great caution in laying her on her back, he took the time to mentally re-evaluate the scene he had stumbled across.

TG-395 was lying on the ground with a knife protruding from his chest. His blood was oozing from the wound, but there was no puddle of it underneath him since the knife was still in the Contractor's body. From a quick glance, he hadn't seen any bullet wounds though he would admit that he hadn't checked that carefully. Even so, if it wasn't in the man, it should be somewhere in the vicinity as a gunshot was the noise that had alerted them to the situation.

Sighing softly, he shook away those thoughts. There were more than a dozen of them over there. There were enough of them to handle the situation. It was his duty to tend to the Chief as she lay so helplessly in front of him. She looked so peaceful, but that was the problem. The Chief he knew would never look like this during an operation; only in her sleep. Just as he was about to tenderly touch his fingers to her cheek, another noise from behind startled him. Pulling his hand away with a guilty start, he turned around to see the paramedics rushing towards them.

"What happened?" they asked as they quickly set up a stretcher bed and moved her onto it in one swift motion.

"I don't really know," admitted Saitou. "I found her slouched against the crate over there and decided it would be better to lay her down on the ground."

"The crate you say..."

Embarrassed that he couldn't provide them with more details, Saitou hung his head in shame. He didn't notice that they were rolling her away until one of the paramedics touched his arm. Startled from his own thoughts, he glanced up in surprise with a look of confusion across his features.

"Are you going to stay by her side?"

"Y - Yes! Of course!" he exclaimed.

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Saitou demanded, pouncing on the doctor the moment he stepped out of the room.

"She'll be fine, Mr. Saitou," the doctor replied. "She's resting now."

"Did she wake up?"

"Momentarily, but she's resting again. She has two separate injuries. First, she has suffered a concussion and it will take time for her to heal. She seemed coherent and did not suffer from any major effects that were noticed while she was awake. Unfortunately, I need to keep her in for longer as she has suffered from blunt force trauma in the abdominal region. Preliminary scans show that her organ functions are stable and there is no internal bleeding. At the same time, it's a difficult call to make and complications can arise with time. It's better to keep her under our care until I can be certain that she will make a full recovery."

"C - Can I see her now?" Saitou asked nervously, not pleased with the status update.

"Yes, of course. As long as you do not disturb her."

"T - Thank you."

Nodding his head in response, the doctor continued on his way as he still had other rounds to make. When he was out of sight, Saitou slowly pushed open the door and made his way into Misaki's hospital room. They had taken her to the emergency room and when she was deemed to be in stable condition, they had moved her to a regular bedroom. The doctor had examined her there.

Along with the scans and testing they had performed, it had been eight hours of torturous waiting; not knowing what happened or how serious her condition was. He mentally beat himself for not doing a better job in assisting her. In a way, he was relieved that she was resting again as he had no clue what he was supposed to say to her or how to apologize for his inability to assist her.

He stopped beside her bed, gazing down at her. With fingers clutching at the bed railing, he stared and stared; still a fraction of him disbelieving that this was the Chief in front of him. She was the most careful and prepared of all of them; so how did this happen? How was it possible that TG-395 snuck in past their watch?

She continued to slumber, oblivious to his presence. He reached out his hand, tempted to take a hold of hers when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Sighing softly, he never had a moment of peace when they were alone together. They were only alone together because she was in a dire circumstance to begin with...

With one last glance at the Chief, he quietly slipped back out into the hallway to answer the phone that he had switched into silent mode. A glance at the caller ID told him that it was his partner. He always did have terrible timing and terrible luck. Kouno seemed to be his personal bad luck charm when it came to his love life.

"Hello?" he answered, keeping his voice down.

_"How is she? Did she wake?"_

"Momentarily," replied Saitou, repeating the doctor's words. "She suffered a concussion and blunt force trauma in the abdominal region. He said she looks alright, but wants to keep her under their care until he's absolutely certain that she will make a full recovery."

_"Concussion? Blunt force trauma?"_

"That's what he said."

_"Oh... Well we've taken TG-395 into custody, though he won't harm anyone now. Everything seemed to work out somehow, but we still don't know who was responsible for his death. It couldn't have been the Chief,"_ Kouno stated.

"I know that. She wouldn't use a knife."

_"Exactly... And the knife..."_

"Wait. Not here," Saitou said, common sense ruling his mind for once. "I'm still at the hospital and people can overhear our conversation."

_"Oh right... Are you coming back?"_ inquired Kouno, concern evident in his voice.

"No, I don't think so. One of us should stay here with her."

_"Alright, then I'll tell the others... If you need to switch, just call us up."_

"Okay. I'll drop by tomorrow for an update," Saitou replied.

_"Sounds good to me. See you then."_

"See you."

Hanging up the phone, Saitou shoved it back into his pocket before entering the Chief's room again. Now that TG-395 was taken care of, they stumbled onto another problem. How he was taken care of was obvious, but no one knew _who_ had been the one to complete that task.

* * *

**A/N:** Saitou to the rescue!~ hehe, after all the hardcore work (as in killing TG-395) is done.

Personally, I think this chapter and the next one are a little dry... But that's because the idea has been festering in my mind for ages. So hopefully it didn't seem like that to you, reading it with "fresh eyes" =_=;;


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

Her eyelids fluttering as she woke up, Misaki struggled to open her eyes. A dull throbbing seemed to take residence at the back of her head. When she tried to reach back with her hand, she felt something pinch her arm and it fell limply to her side. She was just waking yet she still felt tired...

"Chief!"

"Misaki!"

In the distance, she heard someone calling her name, but she couldn't hear it clearly enough to recognize the voice. Again, she struggled to open her eyes. With some effort, more than expected, she managed to reach up to her eyes with one hand. Giving it a good rub, she tried to open them once more.

When they finally opened, it was to find that her vision was blurry. Two faces peered closely at hers and she was tempted to push their faces away; it was disconcerting. Unfortunately, that required work - more work than she had energy for. Before she could open her mouth to speak, a painful pulsing replaced the original dull throb and she winced.

"Chief!"

"Misaki!"

"What?" she managed to get out with difficulty.

The sound of the voices murmured and she didn't hear a word of the conversation that ensued. Displeased with the state of her body, Misaki squinted her eyes, hoping that it would help her see better. She heard more muffled noises before she felt a fingertip poking between her brows.

A shocking movement of blond blurred in front of her eyes before it disappeared to her periphery. Her mind registered that it was November; the only person she knew who had blond hair that bright. Suddenly, she remembered bits and pieces as the last place she had been before this was the warehouse.

"You're going to get wrinkles if you keep doing that."

November's breath tickled her ear and she reached up to brush him away, but her arm was weak. She managed to raise it up half a foot before it dropped back to her side. The sound of his chuckle teased her ear before he pulled away.

_What was he doing here? Where exactly was she anyways?_

She glanced around as November seemed to disappear in front of her very eyes. Why couldn't she see him or hear him clearly? She wasn't given time to give voice to these questions as he seemed to materialize on the other side of her. His fingers caressed her cheek and she was too tired to pull away. She had the feeling that he was grinning at her as he slipped something onto her face - her glasses.

"There. Now you can see my handsome face," he stated, speaking close to her ear.

A witty retort began to bloom, but it died before it was completed, leaving her with the feeling that she had lost part of her brain. Instead, she struggled to rise from the bed when another powerful thud pounded at her head.

November quickly helped her up into a sitting position. He smiled at her and Misaki felt herself blushing. Memories of the conversation she had with Kanami flooded her mind. There was something about his smile which caused her heart to race; not to mention that she was finally seeing him again after so long...

"She woke not too long ago," she struggled to hear as she heard November's voice.

He had stepped away from her side to reveal that Saitou had entered the room, following behind the doctor. They spoke, but it was too difficult to follow along with their discussion. Closing her eyes again, she leaned back against the pillow that November had propped up behind her.

She felt herself drifting off to sleep and did not try to fight it. She was feeling tired anyways. Yet unexpectedly, a gentle touch on her shoulder startled her and her eyes snapped open. The doctor gave her a small smile before he said something. What it was, she didn't know. She only saw his lips moving.

When he looked at her expectantly, Misaki felt a frown pucker her features. She had no idea what the man had just asked. She glanced at the other two in the room. Saitou looked on nervously, unable to meet her eyes. As for November, he smiled at her again. Then his lips began to move as he started to speak.

The doctor turned his attention towards November, nodding his head in agreement. It seemed to last for minutes when the doctor finally turned back towards her. This time he leaned in close, causing her to pull back slightly, unsure of his motives.

"I'm going to perform a routine check-up. Are you up for that?" he asked, to which she nodded her head.

He removed her glasses and checked her eyes; checked her ears; checked her heart rate. All the while Saitou fidgeted next to her bed and November stood at the end of it, staring at her. Despite the fact that she couldn't see well, she could sense the intensity of his gaze; the way his eyes seem to assess every detail.

"Your ears look fine. It should be a temporary effect from the concussion. If it persists over the next couple days, please inform us."

"O - Okay," replied Misaki, her voice oddly weak and feeble.

"I'll let you rest. Is there anything you need?"

As if on cue, Misaki's stomach let out a loud grumble. An embarrassed blush blossomed on her cheeks and she looked down at her lap. She couldn't believe that it had to happen in front of everyone... Even so, the doctor chuckled and pat her hand reassuringly.

"I'll have the nurse bring you something to eat. You haven't eaten anything since you arrived."

The doctor smiled when she glanced up at him. He then excused himself, leaving her alone with Saitou and November. As she glanced at the two of them, she couldn't figure out how they were here together. November shouldn't even know that she was here.

"Chief! I'm so sorry!" Saitou blurted out suddenly.

He flung himself to the floor, prostrated at her bedside. Words seemed to fall off of his tongue in a babbling stream, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Considering her current state, he probably blamed himself. Even so, it was something that had been beyond their control.

Opening her mouth to tell him to stand, no sound came out. When she tried to force her voice, the only thing she received for the effort was a cough. Saitou didn't hear as he was still in the middle of pouring out his heartfelt shame. As she was about to try again, November moved from his post at the foot of her bed and she watched in amazement as he hauled her subordinate to his feet.

"Raise your head," he said loudly so she could hear. "No one is blaming you for what happened. She would never blame you, so quit blaming yourself."

How was it that he knew what she was thinking when she hadn't said a word? Saitou stared at November before he finally turned to look at her with a pitiful expression on his face. If the situation hadn't been so seriously, she would have been tempted to laugh. He was overreacting. Slightly raising a hand, Misaki smiled softly and nodded her head in agreement with what November had said.

"Really?" he exclaimed. "Y - You don't think any less of me...?"

"Of course not."

"Oh Chief," he wailed as he clutched at the railing of the bed. "Everyone has been really worried about you!"

"Please keep your voice down. We're inside the hospital."

They turned towards the new voice to watch as a nurse pushed in a cart of food. Misaki was surprised by the amount of food as there were three separate trays. Confusion evident on her face, her eyes connected with November's momentarily and he winked at her. She realized he must have said something to them earlier.

"S - Sorry," Saitou said sheepishly.

"The doctor informed me that she was awake and hungry."

"Yes."

The three of them fell silent as the nurse set a tray on the small side table and moved it in front of Misaki. Smiling and nodding her thanks, Misaki waited until the nurse was finished fussing; the pillow was not propped high enough; the blanket not tucked around her tight enough...

"Thanks," Misaki managed to say.

"Not a problem. If you have anything else you need, just press this button here and we'll come check on you."

"I should be alright."

They didn't speak even when the nurse was gone. Nervously, Saitou pulled a chair next to the bed as he still needed to update her regarding the mission. With November in the room, he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. But then again, it was November who had come to the office to find her; hence why he had been forced to tell him what happened - at least the news that she was in the hospital.

As he was lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't realized that November had joined them; sitting on the edge of the bed facing Misaki as he held the spoon in his hand. The moment he noticed, he slipped off the chair and it toppled over noisily. Both November and Misaki glanced over at him; one smiling and the other blushing.

"S - Sorry," he said lamely. "I was trying to recall the update from Kouno..."

"Oh. Well, then I'll leave you two. Here."

"Eh?" Saitou exclaimed as November shoved the spoon into his hands.

The blush on the Chief's cheeks heightened and she turned away embarrassed, a sight he had never expected to see. His heart thumped madly against his chest as his blood rushed and roared in his ears. How had things turned out to be like this?

"She needs to eat," November informed him with a serious tone of voice before he grinned.

"B - But..."

"It's your duty to see to her well-being. The others have entrusted this task to you."

"W - Where are you going?" Saitou inquired nervously, still holding the spoon.

"You two need time to talk. Don't worry. This is a private room so no one will disrupt you. I'll be back within an hour."

Just like that, before he could say another word, November was out of the room. Saitou stared at the spoon helplessly. When he finally glanced up to look at the Chief, it was to find her watching him.

"I'm sorry," he muttered stupidly as he didn't know what else he was supposed to say.

When he turned to face her with a spoonful of food, she glanced at it warily. The colour on her cheeks blossomed again before she slowly opened her mouth and leaned forward. Saitou placed the spoon in her mouth and watched with fascination as her lips closed around the utensil and the food disappeared.

"You were going to update me," Misaki stated softly, trying to sound serious despite her heightened colour.

"Oh! Oh right..." Saitou replied, a blush tingeing his own cheeks as he had been staring at her.

Misaki felt like groaning as this was more than just awkward. She wanted to grab the spoon from his hand and feed herself, but that was the reason why she was in this position to begin with. November had noticed how the spoon trembled in her hand when she had tried to scoop up food from her tray. At this point, the only thing she could truly be grateful for was the fact that it was Saitou in the room with them, and not Li.

**

* * *

A/N:** hehe, poor Misaki having to be spoon fed. First by November and then Saitou XD November is always going to find a way to integrate himself into the situation~

Hope you enjoyed this "after the storm" type chapter ^^


	51. Chapter 51

If you see any mistakes, let me know. I wasn't in the mood to edit it.

* * *

**Chapter 51**

"Stop it," Misaki demanded.

If it weren't for the fact that she was still bedridden, she would have stomped her foot. She couldn't help remembering the time she had been forced to point her gun at the two of them... Though they weren't bickering as the nurse had come by a number of times to put them in their place, November and Li continued to glare at each other across her bed. It happened every time they both happened to visit, which was on more than one occasion - even within a day...

It had been a week since she had arrived in the hospital and the doctor still hadn't given his approval for her release. The first few days had been filled with subsequent testing, despite the positive results from the preliminary ones. Not to mention, she had been recovering from her hearing loss. Before the nurse had stepped in, she was almost resentful for the fact that she could hear again; that was how terrible it had been with November and Li arguing like little girls.

Between all the testing, everyone she knew had visited - the most frequent of them all, November. When she had finally asked how he knew, Saitou, who happened to be with them, had glanced at her sheepishly and informed her that November had come looking for her the day after the mission. As for Li, he kept arguing with November because of his disapproval of him; not to mention that he had been the last to know where she was. He hadn't been pleased with that fact.

Despite the length of time November spent with her, Misaki had to be grateful that he happened to be away the couple instances where Kanami had visited. She couldn't help worrying that they would end up meeting. After all, she only knew November because of what Kanami had gone through because of him...

"Am I interrupting?"

Misaki was drawn away from her own thoughts by the sound of a voice. Looking up, she spotted her commander standing just inside the doorway. Glancing at her companions, they barely moved as they continued to stare each other down... Inwardly sighing, she finally shook her head as she turned her attention back to Horai.

"What is it?" she asked as this was only the second time he had come to visit.

Even if he was concerned, there were plenty of informants to gather updates from. After November and Li, Saitou was the third most frequent when it came to visiting. He came every other day with updates and/or snacks. All in all, it tended to be busy, if not rowdy.

"I need to talk to you, alone," Horai stated before glancing at the others.

"That's fine."

November and Li glared at each other for a moment longer before glancing at Horai. The expression on his face was calm and composed, giving away no hints as to what he was about to tell her. Reluctantly, the two of them left as they knew it would be serious business; news from her commander told to her in person.

"One of them your love interest?" Horai finally asked when they were gone, a breach of the typical professional conduct he kept.

Unprepared for that type of question from him of all people, Misaki felt heat touch her cheeks and she quickly glanced away. It felt odd; like she was being interrogated by her father. He didn't say anything and Misaki finally turned back towards him after regaining her composure.

"It's none of my business, but I think your father would think different in regards to this topic," commented Horai.

"... You wanted to speak to me about something?" Misaki asked after clearing her throat.

"Yes. I've had the others look into TG-395's death."

"And?"

"Unfortunately, we were unable to find any clues," Horai stated. "The autopsy revealed that there were no marks on his body besides the knife wound to his chest."

"What's the problem?"

"Considering what a threat he was, nothing really. It's just curious because the weapon used was a typical boning knife."

"A boning knife?" Misaki inquired with surprise.

"Yes. No fingerprints or anything. The gunshot that Saitou heard alerting him to your situation; the bullet was from a standard Smith and Wesson Model 37. There was no indication of a breech; that TG-395 had ever appeared on the premise."

"So you want me to investigate it?"

"What? Of course not," Horai replied. "You're still in the hospital."

"Then is there a reason why you're repeating information that Saitou has informed me of?"

"I just don't understand," admitted Horai. "I know the plan wasn't perfect, but I didn't think it was that flawed. Not only did TG-395 get in without notice, someone completely unknown got in along with him and killed him..."

Misaki shook her head, not saying anything. She had her suspicions as she knew someone perfectly capable of doing everything he had just stated. Though, the news of the kitchen knife surprised her as Saitou had said nothing in that regards.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help," she answered solemnly.

"Don't be. They have decided that it doesn't matter; the important thing, that he is no longer a threat to anyone. Not to mention that it's an ego boost since our side was able to eliminate him where the CIA wasn't capable."

"Even though they don't actually know who was responsible?"

"He was killed under our watch," Horai replied. "That's all the information they need."

"I suppose..."

"Anyways, it's not what I wanted to speak to you about."

"It's not?" Misaki exclaimed.

"No. I spoke with the doctor earlier. I'm sure he's reluctant to let you leave because of your father, but he assures me that you will recover nicely."

"Well that's good to hear."

"Of course. He didn't say how long it would take, but you are given two weeks' vacation starting the day after you're released," stated Horai.

"Two weeks?" Misaki complained. "I'm fine. I can already go back!"

"Yes well... Unfortunately some people have different opinions on that matter..."

"Father?"

Horai smiled wryly for a brief second before his features straightened again. He didn't mind if Misaki came back right away, actually preferring it. After all, things operated the smoothest when she was in command of their section. Even so, he did not want to be the one feeling pressure from above.

"He never cares what I want," Misaki grumbled.

"On the contrary, I'm sure he understands very well your tendencies. I've already asked the doctor to notify me when you're released," Horai answered, showing a rare moment of softness, "so don't think you can get away with coming back early."

"Yes sir..."

"Well, that's all. I'll let you rest. I trust Saitou can do the rest in keeping you informed."

Misaki nodded and Horai gave her a curt nod, the type of response she expected of him. When he finally left the room, she shifted on the bed and flopped over unhappily. This wasn't fair at all - the way her father still tried to manager her life for her. She was perfectly fine! Just a little weak, but that was to be expected.

* * *

"W - What are you doing?"

Misaki shrank back against the pillow as her heart picked up a staccato rhythm. As much as he wanted to stay, Li had been forced to leave since Yin was waiting for him. This left her all alone with November. Now he was staring at her again, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"It's perfect," he stated with a grin, taking hold of her hand. "Now he's finally gone."

"His name is Li," Misaki stated, trying to ignore the tingling sensations created by the gentle strokes of his thumb across the palm of her hand.

"Honestly, I don't care what his name is. I much rather talk about us."

"U - Us? T - There is no us."

Grinning at her, the look in his eyes told her that he didn't believe her at all. He lowered his gaze to her hand, still caressing it. Glancing up at her, feigning demureness, he slowly raised her hand to his lips. Misaki tensed, only snatching her hand away after he had pressed a kiss to her palm.

"W - What do you want?" she asked nervously, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Well, I was just thinking of what your supervisor came here to tell you..."

"Hm...? Oh. That's not fair at all. I'm fine. I _don't_ need vacation time," she grumbled.

"Maybe not, but it's already given to you," November replied.

Misaki shrank back away from him even more, not liking that twinkle in his eyes. He was up to no good again. But what he was thinking; she had no clue. He ignored her retreating behaviour and scooted across the bed to close the distance between them.

"Aren't you curious to know what I'm thinking about?" November asked, taking possession of her hand once more.

"No... Not really."

He chuckled as she took playing hard to get to a whole new level. Despite her words, her reaction towards him gave her away. She felt something for him; of that he was sure. It would only be a matter of time before he successfully snatched her away from that other man.

"Now that the case is over, I believe it's time you held up your end of the bargain," November stated, changing tactics.

"My end of the bargain?"

"Yes. I believe I've helped you astronomically in terms of putting this TG-395 case to rest."

"Oh," murmured Misaki, recalling what the price for his information was. "W - What were you thinking?"

I had some initial plans, but they've changed considering the latest information."

Misaki looked at him with confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand how TG-395's death affected their deal. Of course it was a relief to know that he would no longer be a threat to society. November didn't say anything as he gazed at her earnestly, causing her to blush and look away. She wasn't used to that from anyone, let alone a man like November.

"It's only a date," Misaki managed to say. "What possibly could have changed?"

She carefully peeked at him, wondering if he would be hurt by her words. It wasn't like she purposely meant to say hurtful things or throw up this barrier between them; she _had_ complained about the lack of attention to Kanami... But she didn't know how she was supposed to act around him, especially when he was behaving this way.

"Is it really only...?" he inquired softly as he framed her face with his hand.

"N - Nove... Stop..."

Sighing softly, he dropped his hand and turned to sit facing the window. He knew she wasn't saying things like that on purpose. It was him. His impatience was mounting, ever since the incident with TG-395. The fear and urgency just seemed to claw at him; the possibility that his opportunity was cut short...

"For now it's one date," November said, regaining his composure. "But I was hoping to buy some more of your time."

"Buy some more of my time...?"

"I'm sure there's some suspicions you have..."

Misaki stared at his profile, trying to assess his cryptic hint. He knew something, but he wasn't telling her everything. Not to mention the idea of buying her time... Just how much did he think his information was worth? And did it _really_ matter when she herself complained to her best friend that the man did not spend enough time with her?

Reminded of her conversation with Kanami once more, Misaki felt herself blushing. It had been her original purpose to get under his skin to exact revenge, but she never imagined that the plan would backfire in such a way; that he would fluster her to no end... If only she knew how to handle these situations more clearly.

"What were you thinking?" Misaki asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

He took his time answering and she could feel the nervous tension building within her. It was possible that she had finally pushed too far; even with a man as resilient as November... But when he turned to glance at her, it was still with that mysterious twinkle in his eyes and a mischevious grin.

"I'm thinking that I would ask you nicely, to be polite, but if you refused, that I would have to take advantage of your weakness and kidnap you."

"W - What?"

"You do have two weeks off..."

"I know that..." Misaki answered.

"See, the thing is... I would really like to take you away, Misaki. Somewhere, anywhere. So far I've gained myself a day, but I would like to have more than that - much more than that."

"Like... A vacation...?"

"Is that not what I said?" November replied.

"Not in those exact words, no," she muttered, still trying to wrap her mind around his proposition.

"I still have information that might be able to buy me another day or two..."

"Eh? Y - You mean that _we_ go somewhere? Like... Just the two of us...?" she finally asked, fully grasping the implications.

Chuckling in response, November was amused by her reaction. That was exactly what he meant. It would be heavenly; to take her away from all distractions and keep her to himself. No boyfriend, no Contractors, no work; just the two of them together to do anything and everything her heart desired.

"Wh - What kind of preposterous idea is that?" she inquired. "I - I couldn't possibly..."

"Really?"

"Of course not."

"Really?" November asked again as he pulled her into his arms and stared into her eyes.

She hesitated, but voiced no further complaints. In fact, her breathing shallowed as her gaze flickered to his lips which were just inches away from hers. It immediately reminded him of the kiss at his apartment; a moment of pure euphoria. He grinned in response before he closed the distance between them.

Her lips were soft as she first stiffened, but slowly relaxed against his kiss. His arms tightened around her, wishing this moment could last forever. Eventually, she reached her arms around his neck to pull him even closer and he groaned against her lips; this was neither the time nor place.

"Misaki..." he murmured as he forced himself to pull away. "Can't we go, just for a few days or even a week...?"

She glanced at him and he was so certain she wanted to say yes, but she still hesitated. Surely even she could tell that there was perfect chemistry between them... Yet she dragged her gaze away to look out the window, no assuring words given to him. Eventually, she sighed and shook her head.

"I can't... What would Li think? I couldn't possibly do something that would hurt him."

"Li..."

"I... I would like that," she admitted quietly, "but it just wouldn't work."

"Can't you talk to him? If it's actually something you want."

Misaki turned to gaze at him miserably. The idea had been exhilarating and she had been tempted to say yes, but she couldn't when she was still bound to her promise to Li. Though they weren't truly dating, the fact of the matter was that he was an important friend. She couldn't break a promise to him, knowing full well what he already thought of November.

"At least think about it," November suggested, hugging her as he couldn't bear to see the pitiful expression on her face.

Pulling away, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and helped her settle back in bed. He wanted to beg and plead with her, but he knew it wouldn't help. She would never betray a friend, let alone her boyfriend. Sighing softly, he told her to rest and that he would give her some time to think about it. His offer was always going to be open.


	52. Chapter 52

Okay, I am _finally_ back with an update for this story... I apologize to everyone for the long hiatus! I have a terrible tendency to leave things unfinished before the end. Terrible habit I know =_=;; But thank you to those of you who continued to check up on me and encourage me along the way! You know who you are ^^ It really means a lot to me, to be assured that people still want to read the rest of the story, as unwritten as it may have been.

To sakR9, I wish you were a registered member. Then I could take the time to reply to the questions/concerns/comments you raised. As for the "lame" reviews, they're not. They were absolutely lovely for a review whore like me. Lol~ I always feel motivated to write when I know there are people who are reading my work and enjoying it! So thanks a million (with a million hugs and kisses ^^), for all the _Revenge_ reviews and the ones you left for my other stories~

And onto the good news. I have officially finished writing the draft for the remaining chapters! hehe~ Yeah, it really is that easy to motivate me XD So I'll be updating like usual (every week) with the remaining ones. I still need to type them up and edit. I just hope I don't disappoint since it has been a long time (over a year...) since the conception of this story and the original plans I had are now somewhat hazy.

That said, if you see any mistakes with this chapter, please let me know! I was typing like mad in my excitement to get this chapter up (haha~) and haven't actually edited it.

* * *

**Chapter 52**

It was a couple days since her hospital release and Misaki was sitting alone in her apartment living room. The TV was on as background distraction. It felt odd that she didn't have to go to work, but actually that wasn't what bothered her. The issue that bothered her the most was November's proposition regarding a vacation.

Since he had brought it up, he had been true to his word. The week before her hospital release had become suddenly quiet. November still visited, but he stayed the proper amount of time and never pressed the subject of travelling together. Li had been happy that he didn't always find November hovering around.

For her, she didn't know what to think. She did, but she didn't. She wanted to go. She found she wanted a lot of things when it came to November; things she never wanted before. The biggest problem was Li. He would never approve and she wouldn't go with November when they were in a relationship – fabricated or not. It just wasn't right.

The only way around it was to discuss the situation with Li and ask him to release her from the promise that she didn't tell November the truth. Already, she was self-conscious regarding the circumstances leading up to their meeting. Another worry to add to the list was something she didn't need.

Finally, she had plucked up her courage and contacted him to set up a meeting. She knew Li would never say or do anything hurtful, not on purpose. Even so, she couldn't help feeling nervous. After all, she wasn't sure she could change his mind regarding November. He knew about the man's relationship with Kanami and what had happened there.

Though she said she would talk to him, she still didn't know what she would say – especially if he refused. She didn't have a backup plan or even a plan at all, when it came to convincing him to change his mind. All she knew was that it was a necessary step if she wanted to go with November – which she really, really did.

She had tried to push it out of her mind completely since she had originally refused. She reminded herself of all the terrible things he had done, putting Kanami through such a terrible heartache. But that didn't help since she was always reminded of Kanami's words that night she had complained about his lack of attention; what a changed man he had become.

Her exact words didn't say it, but she had a feeling that Kanami was excited for her; considering what a good catch November had turned out to be – reformed rake and all. Though Kanami might agree with her, that wasn't what Li would think. The fact that he was a rake to begin with automatically disqualified the man as her potential partner; she knew what he was thinking in those regards.

With a soft sigh, she switched off the television and made her way to her bedroom. It wasn't going to help to keep worrying and worrying over the possibilities. She already contacted Li. He was intuitive; he was bound to pick up on her nervous vibe no matter how she tried to hide it. The best bet would be to discuss the issue as calmly as possibly. But that was for when the time came; for now, she was going to try and rest.

* * *

"Hello!"

"Hi Yin," Misaki said with a smile for the girl.

"Come in. Come in."

"How have you been?"

"Good," she exclaimed, "But I don't have time to chat right now. So make yourself at home."

"You don't?" Misaki asked in surprise.

"Not tonight."

"Hurry up, Yin," Li yelled. "You're going to be late!"

"Coming!"

Yin flashed a quick smile at Misaki before she darted off to her room, leaving Misaki mystified as she slowly made her way into the apartment. That wasn't the response she was expecting since it had been a while since her last visit. Not to mention that Li had not taken her during his hospital visits, though Yin was sure to know about her condition.

"Hello," Li said, coming to join her in the living room.

"Hi. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, but would you be okay by yourself for a bit? I know we arranged for this, but July asked last minute if she could go to the movies with them tonight. She really wanted to go and I figured you would be okay waiting until I see her safely to the station. It should only take twenty minutes."

"Oh…" replied Misaki. "Yes, that will be fine. Is it okay if I get something to drink?"

"Yes, of course. Hurry up!" he called out, the last part directed at Yin.

"I'm hurrying!"

Misaki made her way to the kitchen while Li waited for Yin to reappear from her room. Two minutes later, the door slammed shut as the two of them seemed to take turns half dragging the other along. Leaning against the counter with her hand braced against the surface, Misaki wasn't sure if she should be thankful or nervous given the latest events. She had been ready to blurt out everything the moment she had seen him…

At least this way, she would have a bit of time to re-gather her thoughts. Even if she had blurted everything out, she was sure Li would have listened, but the purpose was to present her case in a calm and logical fashion. That way, they could discuss any issues that arouse naturally from the flow of the conversation.

Shaking her head, she told herself that she was thinking too much. Things would turn out just fine. Li wasn't going to hate her just because she asked if she could tell November the truth; all in order to go on vacation with him. They were lying to him in the first place so they were in the wrong; and that didn't sit well with her.

* * *

As he had said, it had taken twenty minutes for him to return and Misaki was waiting in the living room with her half empty glass of water sitting on the coffee table. He gave her an apologetic smile, but she shook her head and motioned for him to sit down next to her. It wasn't his fault as they had asked last minute and it wasn't like it truly interfered with their plans. In fact, it worked out better this way since Yin wasn't present to overhear what they spoke about.

"They're on their way?" Misaki inquired.

"Yes and no worries since they promised to bring her back here. I won't have to cut our evening short to go pick her up."

"Okay."

"So what's up? It sounded kind of urgent when you called," Li stated.

Her features pinched together for a brief moment as she had tried to remain calm when she had called him. It was just like him to pick up on details, even from a simple phone call despite her attempts to hide it. She glanced into his eyes to see that he was watching her with a hint of concern. Finally sighing softly, she threw her arms around his neck to give him a big hug, please that he returned it.

"I have something to talk to you about," she stated as she still clung onto him. "But you can't say anything until I'm done explaining everything. Promise?"

"Alright, if it's that important to you."

Smiling slightly, Misaki pulled away from him and resettled herself on the couch. In the end, before this moment, she had decided to trust her instincts and speak as she felt compelled to. There was no guarantee of coherency, but she figured Li would understand the sincerity of her concern.

"We've been through a lot together," Misaki started saying. "I know things weren't always perfect, especially with TG-395 in the equation. It didn't end on a good note, given that I found myself in the hospital, but it has ended and that's the important part."

She paused to gauge his reaction and he was nodding in response to what she said; so far so good, as he was still receptive to her thoughts. She hoped it would last until the end of everything she had to say.

"Because of my hospitalization period and my father's position, the commander was forced to give me two weeks' vacation starting from my hospital release date. And well… November brought up a proposition that we could go somewhere to help me recuperate since I'm not allowed back at work anyways," Misaki blurted out.

Li's features immediately took on a scowl at the mention of November and Misaki waited to see if he would say anything. He didn't, as promised. With a soft sigh, she turned to stare at the floor as she continued.

"At first, I said no, since it wouldn't be right," Misaki commented. "Though it's not the truth, I promised you that I wouldn't say anything about our true relationship. I tried to ignore the thought, but I couldn't. I didn't want to… But I would never break a promise to you or do something that could be taken the wrong way. I thought I would come talk to you about it."

"You want to tell November the truth?"

"Yes."

Li sighed softly as she didn't gaze away or hesitate during her reply. After all she had said, how he could he possibly refuse? She had only said no in the first place because of him. It should be enough that she cherished their friendship above whatever she was starting to realize she felt for November. Even so, he still didn't like the idea of November being anywhere close to her; let alone the fact that they would travel together.

"So, what do you think?" Misaki asked nervously.

He understood her desire; she could see that. Even so, it was possible that his great dislike for the man would still lead him to say no. And if he did, she would respect that wish. She just hoped that he didn't because she had been overly excited at the thought and her own mind had fantasized about the possibilities during her time trapped at the hospital.

"Fine," Li finally reluctantly grumbled.

"Really? You're okay with it?"

"Since it's what you really want…"

Misaki's face lit up and she threw her arms around him. Inwardly sighing, Li hugged her back. He still didn't approve, but he truly did want her to be happy. She deserved to be, even more so after everything that happened. He could have said no, but he couldn't because he didn't want to be the one to hold her back. He just couldn't help wishing she had fallen for someone else. Anyone else besides November would have been better…

"So do you know where you're going?" Li eventually inquired.

"No, since I wanted to check with you first. He doesn't know yet. I was worried you would say no…"

"As much as I want to, you know I would never stand in the way of your happiness. You didn't have to ask."

"How could you say that? I promised! Of course I have to ask. But thank you," she added with a small smile.

Li was about to say more when her phone rang. Smiling sheepishly, she pulled away slightly to pull it out from her pocket. The smile slipped slightly from her face as she glanced at the caller ID and then glanced back at him.

"Hello?" she said, answering it.

Li tried not to frown as he had seen November's name appear; not to mention that they were close enough that he could hear snippets of their conversation. He had wondered as he didn't recall seeing Misaki's car in the visitor parking. Now it made sense. She had November give her a ride, especially since her hospital release was still relatively recent.

"I… Sorry," Misaki murmured as she hung up the phone. "I should have told you…"

"I'm not a tyrant. We're friends," Li answered with a slight hint of hurt in his voice. "Do I at least get to keep you for the night?"

Misaki nodded solemnly as November had conceded after hearing the good news. A little ashamed of her actions of secrecy, Misaki pulled him into a hug to show her remorse. And as expected, he hugged her back. This was Li; she should have trusted in the knowledge that he wouldn't be unreasonable instead of needlessly worrying.


	53. Chapter 53

To address the reviews. Sorry I didn't do this early since I've been busy :)

Dear4Life - I think it's your strong shipper-ness. To me, the reason for Li's strong feelings towards Misaki is because of their background. He's still BK-201, but now living a normal life. And having to keep such a huge thing secret would be a tough task. Yet Misaki still accepts that about him and befriended him. So she's a special friend to both him and Yin, because he didn't have "friends" before.

sakR9 - My take on Misaki's worrying, but yes, I think she would worry that much. Li is special to her and she would never break a promise to a friend. Also, she knows how much Li dislikes November (very clear throughout the story). Personally, I think she's the type to hold someone else's happiness above her own, hence why she would respect Li's wishes if he did not approve of her "pursuit" of her relationship with November. As for the end part, I didn't go with the original idea I had. Basically, November dropped her off and called back to check on the status - like coming to get her if things did not go as planned. So in that sense, Misaki told Li that November didn't know about it yet, but he kind of did because he was the one to drive her there in the first place... Hope that makes sense.

Anyways, this is a short chapter... So it seems like my review replies are even longer than the chapter itself. Lol~

* * *

**Chapter 53**

"Did you get everything you need?"

"Yes."

"Toothbrush, toothpaste… Clean underwear, socks…"

"Yes, I did!" Misaki exclaimed with a giggle.

Li was over at her place as she was packing the last of her things for her trip with November. He would be here any minute. Li had refused to let her go without meeting November face to face before they left. She didn't think that it was a good idea, but gave in reluctantly since he had freed her from the promise.

As she was doing last minute checks, Li was starting to sound like what she imagined her father would – if he had time to fuss about such things. Even so, she didn't mind. After all, Li had promised to watch her place while they were gone.

"Do you really have to go?" Li inquired when she finally joined him in the living room.

"I already told you everything. We'll be fine. You have my information, so you can contact me if anything happens; but no tricks to make me come back earlier."

"I would never!"

"Somehow I don't believe you," Misaki retorted with a grin.

"I wouldn't do such a thing… I wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Misaki laughed when he pulled his innocent Li face on her, as he had intended. She was right to not believe him as the thought had entered his mind. It wasn't his fault it had lingered for more than a minute. He still didn't trust November to take care of Misaki properly, which was why he wanted to have a chat with him before they departed.

"What is it?" Misaki asked when Li suddenly pulled her close.

"Be careful," Li stated seriously.

"I know."

"If anything happens, and I mean _anything_, you know how to reach me."

I know I can count on you," she replied with a smile.

"And you're not staying in the same room?"

"They're adjoined rooms. I already showed you the reservation papers."

"I have to double check," replied Li. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'll be fine. I promise. November would never do anything to hurt me."

"I still don't trust him, even if you do," he grumbled.

"You worry too much."

Grinning, Misaki leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. Li smiled and hugged her tightly in response. He wasn't used to sharing her attention, but it looked like he would have to familiarize himself with the idea. Even so, it didn't mean that he had to like it one bit.

"Oh! That's probably him now."

She pulled away from him, but he didn't let her go completely. Instead, he joined her on the short trek to the front door with his hand lightly around her wrist. She opened the door and stepped aside to let November in, not noticing the slight rise of hostility in the apartment.

"Hi November. I'm almost ready."

"Then why don't you finish up while we have a chat."

Nodding in reply, she made her way back to her room where she was triple-checking her toiletry bag. The moment she was gone, the two men couldn't help but glare at each other. Li was still upset that they were leaving together. November was annoyed by the way Li still marked her with the slightest gestures; the way he had been slow to release her wrist when she was going back to her room.

"You wanted to talk?" November asked haughtily.

"That's a nice way of putting it."

"Well, what is it?"

"I'll have you know that I still don't approve of you. I only said yes because of Misaki," Li stated.

"I don't need your approval."

"Maybe not, but if _anything_ happens to her, you answer to me. There better not even be so much as a tiny scratch or a mosquito bite. You're accountable for every hair on her head."

"I would never let anything happen to her," November retorted.

"No, you would be the one doing something to her."

"That's between me and Misaki, and no one else."

Lifting an eyebrow in response, Li didn't have anything to say in reply. He had given the man fair warning. Besides, if November knew what was good for him, he would heed his words. After all, they both knew who had been the one to take care of TG-395.

Angry words rose to the back of his throat, but they didn't come out as November didn't truly want to start a fight with the other man. He refused to be intimidated, but he would never forget what happened that night at the warehouse; how the man in front of him had plunged a knife into TG-395's chest and left him to die; dangerous Contractor that he had been.

"Eh? Why are you still standing in here?" Misaki inquired as she had come out to rejoin them.

"We were waiting for you."

"You could have waited inside," she replied with a chuckle.

"So you got everything now?" Li inquired.

"Yes. Help me take them out?"

"Of course."

Misaki flashed a quick smile in November's direction before she sauntered back inside with Li following her. This forced November to wait by the door as it seemed unnecessary for him to take off his shoes; she was already ready to go. Instead, he took in a deep breath and tried to dispel the tension from his body. This was the first day of their adventure; he wasn't going to let Li ruin it, threats or not.

"How much stuff are you bringing?" he heard Li asking.

"Not that much! I need somewhere to put in all the stuff I bring back; souvenirs for you, Yin, July, Saitou and everyone else."

"And I thought you hated shopping…" teased Li.

"I do, but this is different!"

"Ready?" November asked, cutting in as he didn't like listening in on their playful conversation.

"Yes, if you'll just carry the stuff that Li's holding."

Li quirked an eyebrow at him before placing her two suitcases on the floor. Narrowing his eyes slightly at the other man, November picked up her baggage. Even so, they didn't leave immediately as Misaki was rummaging around in her purse. It seemed like forever before she finally produced a set of keys.

"This big one is for the main entrance. This silver one is for the apartment and this one is the…"

"I know already," Li replied lightly. "I've done this before."

"Ah… Right. So I'll call you when we arrive."

"Perfect. Take care and have fun."

Misaki nodded, kissed his cheek and gave him one last hug before she was finally ready to go. It felt a little odd, like Li was seeing her off on the next leg of her life journey. Even so, she couldn't deny the sense of excitement bubbling inside her.

"You better take care of her properly…"

"I know," November stated.

"Bye Li! Tell Yin I'll miss her."

"Will do."

Li smiled as the two of them left Misaki's apartment. He watched until they reached the elevator. Part of him wished he had super sensitive hearing so he could eavesdrop on their conversation, but it wasn't a gift he had. Instead, he sighed. Closing the door behind him, he headed back into the living room and flopped over on the couch.

Just like that, they were gone… And she would be gone all week. Even now, he still couldn't help feeling regret in knowing that he could have changed this outcome. If he had only said no at the beginning… Yet to see how happy Misaki actually was… How could he possibly be the one to deny her that right when she deserved it?


	54. Chapter 54

To each her own opinion! XD

And no, November doesn't think they're still going out. It was implied that Misaki told him the truth about their relationship after ch 52, the only reason why she would go with him in the first place.

Thanks for pointing out that mistake. Changed it now ^^

Anyways, this chapter is longer since we're reaching the conclusion of my really, really long story... Lol. Though still not as long as Dear4Life's :) Like usual, let me know if you catch any mistakes.

* * *

**Chapter 54**

"So what do you want to do now?"

"I'm actually kind of tired. Do you mind if I rest in my room?" Misaki asked.

"Of course not! Nothing serious, I hope…"

"No, no. I'm okay."

"Do you need me to get anything?" inquired November.

"I'll be fine. I just wanted to rest before supper."

"Alright. I'll come find you later. I'll take a walk and come back for you."

Misaki smiled and nodded her head. November leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before escorting her to the elevator. They waited in silence for it to arrive and when it did, he gave her hand a slight squeeze before watching her enter. The door closed and it whisked her away.

When she reached her floor, Misaki quickly made her way to her room. Kicking off her shoes and stumbling her way towards the bed, she flopped over onto it and sighed loudly. She hadn't lied to him because she did feel tired. Things had been surprisingly good and bad between them.

She had left the planning up to November, not knowing exactly what he would plan. It was so like him; to decide on Osaka, a city famous for its good eats. There was so much to try and so much to see.

They had eaten everything from okonomiyaki, takoyaki and udon to curry rice and sushi. There were dessert cafes, fast food places, fancy restaurants and izakaiyas. Everything had been delicious and he let her have her fill every time.

When they weren't eating, there was shopping or sightseeing. There was Ame-mura, Dotonbari, Umeda and Shinsaibashi. Surprisingly, she didn't hate shopping as much as she thought. She was starting to think she only hated it when she went with Kanami because her best friend pressured her to try _and_ buy practically everything.

Besides that first shopping experience with November, it hadn't been as terrible as she imagined it to be. In Shinsaibashi, there were so many accessory stores; she actually had fun trying to find presents for Yin. They also had arcade places with gachapon, something she thought July might like.

For sightseeing, they had gone to places like Tennoji Park and Tennoji Zoo or Osaka Castle Park. So far, her favourite place had been Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. It had been a relaxing trip. It wasn't super busy since they had gone on a weekday.

The aquarium had been amazing with a number of multi-floored tanks housing sharks and fish; tanks with sea turtles or puffer fish or giant crabs. They had even stopped several time just to sit and watch as the creatures swam around – so carefree in comparison to the hectic schedules of humans.

At the end, November had even convinced her to give it a try as there had been a petting tank with different sting rays and manta rays. She had expected them to feel slimy, but their skin had been unexpectedly soft and smooth. She had enjoyed the experience.

Before they went in search of supper, they had taken a ride on the Tenpozan Ferris Wheel which had been just next to the aquarium. As they enjoyed the night view, November had held her closely to his side; they had even shared a short kiss. The whole day had been heavenly.

Everything was going so perfectly. November was attentive and considerate; everything that Li had demanded he be. So why was there always this sense of darkness inside her heart? It lingered like an irritation until she finally couldn't ignore it.

She knew exactly what it was. Though November's personality hadn't been the most impressive at the beginning, he had never tried to hide any of it. In fact, she could even say that he was the most honest and transparent person she knew. Yet what about her?

November never questioned how or why they met. He didn't seem to care. Unfortunately, she wasn't that dismissive. It just didn't sit well with her that she was happy now when she had approached him using false pretences. Not really, but regardless, it didn't sit well with her.

She felt like she had to tell him; that he deserved to know. The part that concerned her the most was his response. If it ruined their current relationship, she didn't want that. But not to tell him felt like she wasn't being honest with him and she didn't like that idea either.

* * *

"Misaki? I'm back," November stated as he poked his head through their adjoining door.

The room was dark and he didn't hear anything beyond the air conditioning. A touch of worry crossed his features as he made his way to turn on the lights. When he turned them on and found the room empty, his sense of worry began to grow. He knew he shouldn't have left her alone, but he needed to respect her wishes.

Flipping off the lights, he exited from her room and headed towards the elevator. Pulling out his phone, he dialled her number while he waited, but there was no answer, eventually going to voicemail. He had suspected that much.

Exiting on the main floor, he made his way to the reception desk. Surely they would have seen her if she had exited the building. It wasn't like her. He sensed something was wrong, but he didn't know what.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"I'm looking for Misaki Kirihara. She's staying in room 324. She was supposed to wait for me there."

"Do you know where she is?" November asked impatiently when he didn't answer immediately.

"You needn't worry. Ms. Kirihara is just over there," the man replied with a smile.

November turned around to look where he pointed and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted her. She was sitting alone in the main lobby, staring out the window. Thanking the man, November quickly rushed to where she was. She had given him such a fright!

"Misaki," he said gently as he knelt in front of her. "Misaki, are you okay?"

She was slow to reply, startled when she spotted him in front of her. Glancing around at the lobby, she finally glanced back at him and gave him a small smile. Lightly, November took her hands in his and stared up at her.

"I know something's wrong," he said before pressing a light kiss to the back of her hand. "Can't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I knew I wasn't that good at hiding it," she replied with a sigh. "Upstairs?"

"Of course."

He stood and gently pulled her up from the armchair she had been sitting on. Pulling her close, he gave her a hug before pressing a kiss to her hair. Whatever it was that was bothering her, he wanted her to know that he would always be willing to listen and help.

When he released her, she smiled softly and slipped her hand into his. It was a small sign, but it warmed his heart that she didn't fight him when it came to small gestures of affection. In fact, she seemed to embrace it. He knew it was a good idea to pull her away from the regular distractions of her life.

They didn't speak as they made their way back to her room. She paused at the door, turning to stare up at him. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, but smiled anyways. A ghost of a smile touched her lips before she turned back to the door and opened it.

November followed her inside, gently closing the door behind himself. Even though they were alone, Misaki still didn't speak. Instead, she stood by the dresser with her back towards him. Making slow steps towards her, he wanted to give her time to gather her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

She still didn't reply. Instead, she gently rested a hand on top of his and leaned back against him. Smiling to himself, November rested his head against hers. Though she was having difficulty giving voice to her concerns, her actions indicated that she trusted him; she didn't push him away like she used to.

"You can tell me anything you want," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"I know…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm trying to decide where to start," she answered. "I know I have to tell you; I was trying to decide what the best way was when you found me."

"Anywhere."

Sighing softly, Misaki knew that, but he wasn't really helping. Slowly, she turned within his embrace so they were face to face. He loosened his hold slightly, allowing her to lean back and look up at him. Lightly, she reached her hand to press it against his cheek, to which he smiled.

"I told you how I wasn't actually going out with Li," commented Misaki.

"Yes, a fact that pleases me immensely."

"Didn't you ever wonder why we lied about that?"

"Hm… That is an interesting question; one that I never bothered to give thought to," November replied. "I have to admit that I was more excited about planning the trip. Why did you?"

"Do you remember where we first met?"

"Some club or another… I can't remember which one. Does it matter?"

"Not the place, no," stated Misaki. "You have to agree that you weren't exactly Mr. Perfect in the past…"

"Yes, well I'm all straightened out thanks to a certain beautiful someone."

"Haven't you ever thought of all those girls you toyed around with? How they might have felt?"

"No… I don't suppose I have… They don't mean anything to me. Only you," November said.

"See, that was the problem…"

"Hm…? Oh… One of your friends…?" he asked, realizing she was leading up to something.

"Yes. She was quite pitiful, crying her heart out for days."

"I'm sorry; I truly am. But I can't change what I've done in the past… I would never do that to you."

"I know. That's not the point," Misaki stated.

"Then what's the matter? I don't understand."

"That a man would do something so heartless as to play with her affections… It was unforgiveable! I swore I would get my revenge for her sake. The three of us hatched up the perfect plan. I would lure you in and then ignore you, like what you did to her… I just never imagined any of this would happen…"

Much to her surprise, November started laughing. A look of confusion crossed her features as she rested her hands against his chest. She thought he would be angry with her, yet he was laughing like it was the most amusing thing he had ever heard. She didn't get it.

"Are you serious?" November finally asked as his laughter subsided.

"Yes, of course. Why would I lie about that? Li was supposed to be the buffer against your advances. That's why we pretended to be in a relationship."

"Well it didn't work."

"Obviously not since you were more persistent than I imagined," Misaki grumbled. "Why aren't you upset?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because I lied to you this whole time…"

"Oh darling, only _you_ would see it like that," November replied. "I deserved it; I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier. Besides, you're the best thing to happen to me, ever. Why would I want to ruin that?"

"You mean I was worrying for nothing?" Misaki exclaimed.

"If that was what was bothering you, then yes."

"Great… Now I feel really silly."

"Don't. It's one of your charms – your honesty. I just wish you said something earlier."

"I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't go away… How was I to know it wouldn't bother you?" Misaki asked.

"Next time, say it instead of holding it in," instructed November. "Besides, if anyone was to be worried, it should be me."

"Why?"

"Because you're the most beautiful, generous and charming woman I know. You could pick any man you wanted and you still picked me despite everything I put both you and your friend through."

"Well, you can be charming too… And you're quite attractive…" she answered with a slight hint of a blush.

November grinned as he stared into her eyes. She stared back at him. He didn't say anything, but she slowly slid her hands up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He chuckled before he closed the distance between them. One arm tightened around her waist while his free hand came up to frame her face.

Her arm tightened around his neck as she leaned into him. She sighed softly when he broke contact briefly before he kissed her again. It was some time before he finally loosened his hold on her as he could only go so far before he lost control.

"November?" she whispered.

"Supper… We have to think of where we are."

"Hm?"

"If we go any further, supper is going to be the furthest thing from my mind," he answered with a side glance behind her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, a blush reddening her cheeks as she realized what he was talking about. "S – Shall we go then?"

"In a bit."

"In a bit?" she echoed.

"Misaki," he said seriously as he unwrapped her arms from around his neck. "I truly am sorry that I hurt your friend, but I promise I will never do that to you."

Surprised by the sudden return to their earlier conversation, Misaki didn't know what to say. It was like he had switched off his desire with a flip of a switch; something she wasn't capable of doing. She was still basking in the pleasant sensations created by his kisses.

"I just have to say this. Despite what happened in the past, that is no longer who I am. I know everything is still new between us, but I'm serious about making this work. Maybe it's too soon to say this, but I want you to know. I love you. You mean everything to me. Maybe you need more time to come to that point too; that you will return my affection, but I'm willing to wait. There's no one else I rather be with."

"I…"

"Ah!"

Misaki was startled when he shouted unexpectedly. She had no idea what to say in response to his speech. Now she was drawing a blank at November's unexpected behaviour. She could only watch as he dropped her hands and scratched at his head.

Eventually, he shouted a second time and turned his back towards her. Astonished, she slowly reached out to touch his back. His gaze dropped to the floor, making her wonder what was wrong. Just as she was about to take a step closer, he turned his head to look at her.

"Can you just forget what I said?"

"Eh?"

"I wasn't supposed to say it yet! And I can't believe how stupid I sounded… How is that supposed to be convincing?"

Misaki squinted her eyes as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was shocking enough the first time, but to be told to forget it… Not to mention seeing his embarrassed reaction. She finally moved towards him, going to stand in front of him.

"Don't look!" he exclaimed, turning his head away from her.

Even though he said that, Misaki had already seen it; to see him with the same telltale blush that she tended to get. November of all people, blushing like a schoolgirl after his outburst of a love confession… Misaki giggled.

"I told you not to look," November grumbled. "Do people actually do that? I can't believe _I_ just did that! I meant every word, but it just sounds absolutely ridiculous…"

"Shall we go for supper then, Mr. Poet?" Misaki teased before giggling again.

Unexpectedly, he pulled her close for a lingering kiss, only releasing her when she began to melt against him. She stared up at him with a soft dreamy expression in her eyes and November grinned. _This_ was more his style; forget those sappy words he just uttered.

"There, now we can go. That was punishment for teasing me," he said lightly as he interlaced his fingers between hers.

"Well you _are_ the one who said them and decided to complain about it after the fact…"

"It still doesn't give you the right to tease me."

"Hm… Well maybe I happen to enjoy your form of punishment," she replied saucily before she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Now off we go…"

She giggled again as he started grumbling good-naturedly about her sneak attack. And though he himself complained about sappy confessions, she had enjoyed it; shocked, yes, but she couldn't help feeling a sense of wonder that someone could love her that much.

* * *

**A/N:** For those who aren't super familiar with Japanese terms.

okonomiyaki - those Japanese pancake things

takoyaki - octopus wrapped inside batter in the shape of little balls (yum~)

izakaiyas - singular izakaiya; kind of equivalent to a North American pub. a place you can eat and drink


	55. Chapter 55

I couldn't find the mistake where 'would' was supposed to go?

Anyways, this is the last chapter! Like an epilogue. So thank you to everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing! Hopefully you have enjoyed the story, despite how long it took me to finish it~

**

* * *

Chapter 55**

"So how are things going?"

"As good as it can get I suppose," Misaki answered with a smile for her best friend.

The two of them were standing just inside Li's living room as they were having a get-together. She had brought November along and ended up inviting Kanami as well to even out the numbers. Li and Yin were busy in the kitchen while November was sitting on the couch with July. He had been invited so that Yin had company after they were finished eating.

Things in her life were back to normal – relatively. She was back at work. Her free time was split between November and Li, almost evenly. Even when she had returned from her trip unscathed, Li refused to accept that November was a changed man. Honestly, she had a feeling that it didn't matter who she chose. Based on an intuition she had, Li would never think that any man was worthy of her attention, thinking that probably matched with her father's point of view.

At work, the only one who had been pleased regarding her new relationship was Otsuka. It wasn't like she purposely tried to hide that news. It was the fact that it wasn't possible when November came to pick her up from work every so often. Even so, nothing really changed at work as the dynamics remained the same.

Smiling at her best friend again, Misaki wished Kanami would be next; that she would find someone special. After all, she was certainly looking. She would always wish for her friend's happiness; even more so after she had played such an integral role for her to be where she was now.

* * *

"How long have you known her for?" November inquired.

"Since the beginning of the year."

"She's a pretty girl."

"I know," July answered.

"Do you like her?"

"Of course, she's my friend."

"For now… If you want my advice, I would keep my eyes open for predators out there," November stated. "It's only a matter of time before they try to swoop in. You need to grow up to be big and strong; to protect those who are important to you."

"Predators?"

"What are you two discussing?" Misaki asked as she joined them at the couch.

"Oh nothing really," November answered.

"Predators."

"Predators?" Misaki repeated in confusion.

July nodded his head with a smile before turning his attention towards the puzzle in front of him. When Misaki glanced at November, he only shrugged and smiled in response. Shaking her head in disbelief, Misaki joined Kanami on the floor where she had started helping July with the task at hand.

* * *

After supper, the entire group had relocated to the living room again. Yin was chatting with July and Kanami while they were working on the puzzle they had started. The other three were on the couch watching TV with Misaki in the middle.

Partway through, Misaki had excused herself to go use the bathroom, leaving the other two alone on the couch. Kanami watched with amused fascination as they started glaring at each other the moment she was gone. Thankfully, Yin and July were too preoccupied and probably too young to sense the mounting tension in the room.

Their expressions returned to neutral when she returned and she paused briefly to watch Yin and July. Then she returned to her original seat. Before she could lean back against the couch, Li had his arm around her shoulder while November had his arm around her waist. The two glared at each other again and Misaki was forced into a tug-of-war situation.

Inwardly laughing, Kanami couldn't help feeling a slight sense of envy. Her best friend had two attractive men vying for her attention and both of them were too stubborn to give up. All she wanted was one man who would give her half of the attention that Li or November showed Misaki; and here she had two of them.

Eventually, she got sick of this behaviour and smacked them both in the chest before treating them to the infamous Kirihara glare. Then she plastered a smile on her face before shifting from the couch to the floor. Yin and July greeted her warmly as they were pleased to receive all the help they could.

Misaki glanced at her during a brief lull in Yin's instructions and rolled her eyes. Grinning back, Kanami wasn't going to pretend she even understood her friend's troubles. With Misaki out of the picture again, Kanami glanced back at the two men to find them glaring at each other once more.

At this, she couldn't hold in her laughter anymore, causing the others at the coffee table to glance at her in surprise. The two on the couch hadn't even noticed. She waited until the wave of laughter subsided, waving her hand in reply to Yin's questions.

As lucky as Misaki may seem to be, Kanami still had the feeling that she would have plenty of ammunition to harass her friend with. All in all, she had to say that she was pleased with the outcome.

* * *

**A/N:** Did it seem anti-climactic because it kind of seemed like that to me? ... Lol~ Well, I guess since there was no "real confession" from Misaki along with the typical exchange of "I love yous" and what not.

Anyways, thanks again for reading! ^^


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